Crimson Reign
by Lady Hanaka
Summary: An heiress of the sacred sword, an avenger of a once great clan, a half-demon bound to a curse, and an exiled priest who has lost his eye to a sin recompensed.In darkest night of a thousand moons, when the most evil soul was brought to Earth,the four meet. ON HIATUS
1. Prologue

**(A\N: Hello everyone. I know I should probably be updating my other stories but I just couldn't help it. Sorceressmyr made this wonderful fanart that has inspired me to write this fic. The link to her beautiful work is in my profile. I hope you enjoy. The prologue is written in first person but the rest of the story will be in third person like usual. This story will most likely be a SasuSaku with KakaSaku and NaruSaku on the side depending on my mood, lol. Only a little NaruSaku and it'll probably be one-sided and then mostly NaruHina of course, but probably quite a bit of KakaSaku, because I loves him XP. However...we all know how difficult it is for me NOT to fit in some ItaSaku, so look for that too, lol, even if it is one-sided...It all depends on what you guys want...and what I feel like after the manga chapters...Kishimoto is slowly making me dislike the Naruto manga with his insane plot twists and revelations. Anyway, enough of me ranting. Enjoy!)**

* * *

**Crimson Reign**

**By Lady Hanaka**

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

One does not write these things lightly. The brush in my hand feels infinitely heavy as I place it to paper. Perchance if this tale is told such things will never happen again. I wonder even now if it will truly make a difference. It will, at least, give any reader an understanding for my actions and those of my comrades. We never meant to cause so much bloodshed, or perhaps we did and we are just denying as much.

The tale, however, begins before such things, in a land that is this land but so alien and strange to it that it is too difficult to fully comprehend. The land was alive then as it is dead now. It no longer whispers in the dead of night, nor does the soil hum and flourish in an open palm. Now it simply slips through my fingers like ash.

There is an ancient tale of a demon who murdered a high priestess of the light. The warriors and priests hunted the demon tirelessly while the demon slaughtered villagers as it ran. When finally captured, the priests locked the demon away inside of a weathered stone. They placed the stone in a shrine and it lay there for hundreds of years until it was forgotten, placed in a small rock garden in the shrine courtyard so it was out of the way. This was when the earth began changing, the land slowly dying a death that would last hundreds of years.

My clan and others, those entrusted to protect this stone and keep the demon from ever escaping again, watched and waited. I was told that when my grandfather was young, they still kept guard at the shrine itself. After that, however, the knowledge of the stone and the fear it instilled began to vanish. No one came to steal it and so many forgot its importance. The guards no longer watched it day and night. The monks moved it around carelessly, many mistaking it for just another small stone in the garden.

But that is not so now. I have been told the old ways and I can feel the darkness that is coming. It is my duty to stop it and I shall do so. But before that can happen…the truth must be told. The truth is indeed misled and stretched to fit the needs of others, but I hope here to record what has happened as concisely as possible. I make it a habit not to lie and I hope to continue such things. And so I will tell the tale from the beginning, from when the stone was shattered and darkness reigned.

It was called the Great Silence. Because in death there is no sound, only the pervading nothingness of oblivion.

* * *

**(A\N: I hope you enjoyed the little prologue. :D I will leave it up to you to guess who was talking. There are two or three people that it could be so…keep that in mind throughout the rest of the story. :))**


	2. Chapter 1:A Skipping Stone for A Samurai

**(A\N: This was already written, that's the only reason for this extremely quick update. :D I'll wait a few days before updating the second chapter, which is as far as I've gotten on this so far...anyway, I hope you all enjoy it. And don't worry, Shisui will be updated soon. I'm not sure when Heart of an Artist is going to be updated...my muse for that story is not cooperating...**

**remember to read the A\N at the end of the chapters. Sometimes there is actually really important information there. Thanks)**

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**Chapter 1**

**A Skipping Stone for Samurai**

* * *

The Heian Shrine was, much like its name suggested, a place of peace and tranquility. It was nestled in the mountains between the lands of Fire and Grass in the remote Tea Country. Very few people visited the area save for travelers. Even then the pickings were scarce. Many went through the small village that was at the base of the mountain range and did not take any notice of the large stone steps that wound up the mountainside through trees and rocky cliff sides. Even the villagers rarely went near it, though the women often went up to the hillsides surrounding it to pick the bright crimson flowers that grew there.

But for some reason the Heian Shrine's popularity seemed to be increasing, as a small troupe of samurai sat on the stone steps of the main gate that led into the courtyard. Two of them looked aggravated and bored, grumbling under their breath in impatience. The third; however, was walking slowly around the small garden with an air of curiosity. He was a young man, barely seventeen, unlike his two traveling partners who were surely in their late thirties.

The two at the stairs sneered as they watched the monks scuttling around the shrine, dusting and cleaning and trying to ignore the samurai who watched them. When the samurai had stopped a young monk who had been sweeping the steps and tried to speak with him he had merely retreated into the shrine with a nod of dismissal.

"Dammit." One of the older two cursed. "Where is that head monk?"

"He'll be here soon." The other answered, a bit more reserved than his ruddy-faced friend. "The young monk sent him a message."

"Yeah?" The other one scoffed. "They're probably sitting in that shrine of theirs laughing their asses off at us." He jerked his head in the direction of the bright red gate. "What kind of treatment is this? We're noble samurai from the land of Grass! We deserve more respect than this."

The other merely shrugged.

The ruddy-faced samurai frowned, before he turned to the younger man who was walking through the garden. "Kenji!"

The young one hurried towards them. "Yes sensei?"

"Go in there and tell them that we need to speak with the head monk immediately and that if he does not come we will deal with him personally. We need that scroll!"

Kenji looked hesitant, before he nodded and swallowed, standing in front of the large red gate. "Sensei…I'm not quite sure—"

"Now, boy!"

Kenji hurried to comply to his teacher's wishes, opening the gate and slipping inside.

"Why is this scroll so important anyway?" The other samurai asked as soon as Kenji had gone. He shifted his swords at his hip as he folded his legs into a meditative position.

The ruddy-faced samurai grunted. "It's a family heirloom."

"Ah." The other nodded, although on the inside he scoffed at his partner. Did he seriously think that he would believe that? No doubt it was some hidden piece of political information that an informant had sent to this shrine for safekeeping. The land of Grass was currently undergoing a bit of political reform with the death of the old Daimyo. He had a feeling that his friend was merely trying to either protect himself from his political enemies or gain some information on them.

The ruddy-faced man merely stood abruptly, looking angered. "Dammit! What's taking that boy so long?"

"Calm yourself." The other commented smoothly.

The ruddy-faced samurai looked ready to retaliate, but he merely walked out to the small rock garden at the bottom of the steps and picked up a small, smooth stone,throwing it up into the air and catching it in his hand.

A large, somewhat glistening rock stood in the middle of the formation, which was set in the center of a pond, but the ruddy-faced man left it alone. It gave off an almost threatening aura.

Instead, he messed with the palm-sized stone in his hand.

"He's taking too long!" The ruddy-faced man yelled as he took the small stone and skipped it across the koi pond. The pond was small, so the rock splashed twice, then smacked into the glistening rock in the center.

The other samurai looked up at the sickening sound as the two rocks met. Silence reigned as his eyes met those of the ruddy-faced samurai. Both looked on in unease at the sight before them. The large glistening rock now had a large split straight down the middle. The small stone had shattered completely.

That was how Kenji and the monks found them. The monks began whispering to one another frantically, and the head monk was pale, his hands shaking slightly as his long withered fingers gripped his cane tightly.

The monks quickly ushered the three samurai out of the shrine after practically shoving the scroll into their hands.

"Damn idiots." The ruddy-faced one muttered as they began their descent, ignoring the chanting monks that were placing purifying seals around the rock garden.

* * *

"…and then of course, the Hyuga Clan has offered their eldest daughter up for marriage to him…"

"…truly? I would have thought Hiashi-san would have wanted a better match for his first born."

"…we all know…nephew…Neji…inheritance…clan head…"

Sakura's brow furrowed a bit as she turned over on her bed. She pulled the blanket higher over her head as the voices persisted. Her room was still dark which meant it couldn't be any later than four in the morning. She gave a small, indecipherable curse as her eyes fluttered open. There was no point in trying to get back to sleep, not when her uncle and cousins were talking politics just outside her room.

It was a ploy, of course, to wake her. They did it every so often. They said it was because she needed to begin her training early. She figured it was because they had sadistic streaks. Pondering it now, however, would be useless as doing so took brain power and her thinking skills were not at their peak so early in the day, especially without food.

So she merely pulled the covers off and slipped off of her futon. A servant would come in later to roll the futon into a corner and tidy up her room, so she left it as it was. She merely trudged to the small table in the left corner of her room where another servant had placed a clean cloth and a bowl of fresh water.

She cupped her hands, pulling out the water and splashing it onto her face. She let out a small gasp at the frigidity of it—it was the middle of spring, surely it couldn't be this cold!—and quickly patted her face dry with the cloth. Afterwards she ran a brush through her hair, tying the usually small red ribbon onto a quickly made braid that rested on her left side, brushing against her bangs when she turned her head.

"SAKURA!!"

Sakura winced at the loud bellow. Her aunt Saika was the complete opposite of Sakura in the mornings. While Sakura was silent and grumpy her aunt was loud and cheerful. It always grated on Sakura's nerves and so she tried to avoid her as much as she could before morning ended and she would be back to her usual self.

Fate was not so kind, however.

Her shoji door slid open and her aunt poked her head in. "Ah you're awake! I told Yuu that you would be but you know him. He wants you to meet him and your cousins in the dojo in a few minutes. You can eat breakfast after your morning training."

"Right." Sakura muttered rather tonelessly as she waited for her aunt to leave. She did not, however, and merely fluttered into the room, her kimono rippling like water in her wake. It always made Sakura envious, the way her aunt could move so gracefully. Sakura herself was never graceful unless she had a sword in her hand. Her skills were not in the art of being a perfect wife and she knew it, sadly enough.

_Oh well, _she thought, _I'm better off that way I guess._ But it hurt a bit, knowing that she would never be good enough—in her personal opinion—to be the wife of a great samurai. She was too muscled, too strong-willed, and she knew that she was hardly more than tolerable in the looks department, no matter what her aunt or cousins said.

She was short and muscled where other women were long and willowy. Her skin was a soft peach from sunlight rather than the elegant pale of most girls. Her hair was unruly and thick—and pink for heaven's sake, _pink_—while the other girls had long, silky strands that always seemed to fall into place perfectly.

There was also the fact that she could probably beat her husband-to-be hands down in a sword fight. That probably wasn't the best for a man's pride.

So she subjected herself to the realization that she would probably end up a dowdy old spinster and die a virgin. The last thought was infinitely depressing. She was, after all, merely a nineteen-year-old girl who had the same wants and dreams of all girls her age. She still giggled with her friends over handsome men they passed in the street. So to know that when the men looked their direction they were always staring at Ino made her a bit jealous and infinitely more determined than ever to continue her sword fighting. If nothing else she could at least fall back on that skill.

It was her duty as the only heir to the Haruno Clan after all. Her mother had died in childbirth and her father had died four years later protecting the daimyo of the land of Fire. He had died a hero and the loss of his clan was mourned. Surely he should have named his younger brother his heir rather than his lowly daughter. The clan name would die with her now.

Sakura vowed to make her father proud and to never let that happen. But to do so...well it meant ignoring her aunt's annoying cheerfulness as she continued to bustle around the room, ordering around the young servant girl who had just come in to clean.

"Now make sure to run a cloth over the top shelves of that bookcase. Those books always seemed to gather dust. And bring out the new kimono for tonight—no not the green one, the one that Uetake-san just made!"

Sakura ignored the two of them as she slipped out of her yukata and pulled on her training gi and hakama. "Obasan, I'm going to train with Otooji."

Her aunt turned to her and nodded. "Of course, of course. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you return." Then she turned back to the servant. "Now remember what I said about scenting the water, alright? When the guest arrives we'll need to make everything perfect."

_Guest?_ Sakura thought curiously, but merely put it aside as one of her aunts many parties and began her trek through the large Haruno Clan home towards the dojo where her uncle and her cousins awaited her.

* * *

"Agh." Sakura grunted as she massaged her arm. There would be a bruise there the next day, surely. Her uncle had slammed the hilt of his katana into her right shoulder when she'd become distracted during their training. But she ignored the small pain as she slumped to the ground, leaning against the dojo wall behind her gratefully. Her elder cousin Shouhei sat down beside her with a loud groan.

"I feel like hell." He gasped out.

"You _look_ like hell." Kouhei, the younger of the two brothers, plopped himself down on Sakura's other side. All three of them were sweating heavily, their hair sticking to the back of their necks. Their chests rose rapidly as they tried to regain their breath. Their muscles ached from overexertion.

"Father was really working us hard today." Kouhei muttered. "I wonder what the occasion is."

"He probably had a bad talk with the Hyuga Clan. Any time I have to be around those stuffy bastards I always feel the need to break something too." Shouhei smirked.

"Hey!" Sakura punched him in the shoulder, causing him to groan out in pain. "Not all of the Hyuga members are like that. Hinata is very nice and her cousin Neji is the perfect gentleman."

"Che." Kouhei snorted. "That's only because he's hoping to get your hand in marriage."

Sakura let out a laugh. "Haha, very funny." Before the two could argue she stood, stretching. "Well, I was promised breakfast but first I need a bath. I'll see you two later." She then placed her sheathed sword in its rightful place on the rack and headed out of the dojo.

"She's an idiot sometimes." Kouhei finally spoke.

Shouhei nodded. "Do you think…do you think father will tell her about the shrine?"

"Did the stone really shatter?" Kouhei questioned.

Shouhei's lips merely thinned in irritation, "Yeah, or so they told father. But it really isn't that big of a deal is it? I mean, it's just a legend."

"Yeah." Kouhei answered back, but an uneasy silence hung over them, and they both hurriedly left the room in an attempt to be free of it.

* * *

"Sakura! Will you stand still for just one moment?" Saika snapped as she tugged on a lock of Sakura's hair. Sakura gave a small grumble before settling down on the chair in front of the large mirror. She tugged on the sleeve of her kimono a bit dejectedly, frowning. The silk felt wonderful against her skin and it was truly the most beautiful outfit she'd ever worn. But…it felt so strange on her. She was used to the rougher cloth of her training outfits.

One of the servants stepped in front of her, blocking her view of herself in the mirror and began placing some eye shadow at the corner of her eyes.

When the servant had finished, Saika ordered her out to help the other servants with the food and guest room preparations.

"Obasan! Please, this is too much…" Sakura pleaded halfheartedly, knowing that her aunt would not listen. Saika merely grabbed a large clump of Sakura's hair and began twisting it into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. "We need you to look nice for the dinner tonight, Sakura."

"Who's coming?" She finally asked, only half interested.

"A very old friend of your father." Saika hummed. "He, your uncle, and your father grew up together."

"Really?" Sakura's brow furrowed. "Why haven't I heard of him before?"

Saika's hands stilled their busy work and Sakura could see her frowning in the reflection of the mirror.

"What's wrong obasan?" Sakura whispered softly, brow furrowing in worry.

Saika merely squeezed Sakura's arms comfortingly. She leaned down and rested her chin on Sakura's shoulder and Sakura only then noticed just how old her aunt had become. Her hand was covered in small little wrinkles. There were lines around her eyes and at the corners of her mouth. A few grey hairs peppered her once raven black hair. She looked worn and tired, nothing like the energetic woman that Sakura had grown to think of as a mother.

And yet even in this state she was breathtaking. She had been an elegant beauty in her day, and had passed that handsomeness onto her sons. How she had come to marry Sakura's uncle was still a mystery. He was not a man of exquisite looks, although he was fair enough on the eyes. He was normal, with a slightly long nose and the infamous green Haruno eyes and red hair. But it had not been an arranged marriage, which had apparently caused an uproar in Konoha. Saika truly loved her husband, and it gave Sakura a little hope. Perhaps she would find someone who loved her, for all her faults and eccentricities.

"You look beautiful Sakura." Saika whispered in her ear, and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go. Our guest is waiting."

* * *

Hatake Kakashi, former monk of the Hinote Shrine in Konohagakure, took another sip of his sake. He had tugged down his black scarf far enough to drink comfortably, although his fingers twitched every once and a while, as if he wanted to pull it back and hide his face once again.

He saw the redhead sitting next to him give an amused smile, having caught the small action. Haruno Yuu had been one of his closest friends, along with his deceased older brother. It was good to be among amiable company once more. In his travels he had been alone—he was a solitary creature by nature—but even _he_ longed for a bit of companionship every once and a while.

He had so few friends left.

"It's good to see you back in Konoha again." Yuu commented, taking a sip of his own sake. The food had yet to be served.

Kakashi nodded, but said nothing.

Yuu sighed. "How long did you plan on running?"

Kakashi's hand tightened on the sake cup.

"If the stone hadn't shattered…would you even be here right now?"

The silence was answer enough for him. Yuu gave a frustrated sigh, tugging on his beard. "Kakashi…we can't run from our past forever."

"The heir is coming right?"

Yuu blinked at the straightforward question—as well as change of subject. "Yes, but are you sure that all of this is necessary?"

"He can fight, correct?"

"Er," Yuu rubbed the back of his neck. "Kakashi, I don't think you quite understand—"

Kakashi sighed. "I see, so no fighting experience? That's going to make this more difficult, especially with the task ahead. I suppose I'll have to teach him before we can continue…"

"Kakashi, it's not—"

"Oh." Kakashi's murmured, his one visible eye softening with a look of understanding. "Is he invalid? Blind? Deaf? Dumb?"

"No Kakashi…" Yuu began, voice steady—and tinged with hidden laughter. "My brother's heir is neither invalid nor blind."

"Then what's wrong with him?"

"Absolutely nothing, in my opinion."

"Then what—"

The door slid open and Saika popped her head in just as Kakashi was pulling his scarf back up to cover his face. She smiled at him. "Hello Kakashi-san. We're here." She slipped inside, beckoning to the person behind her.

Kakashi leaned forward eagerly, ready to see Haruno Kazuya's son.

"I am sorry for our lateness." Came the soft reply as the heir entered the room.

Kakashi stared, mouth agape—thank god it was hidden beneath his scarf. Standing in front of him was a young woman. She was wearing a glistening bronze kimono; It was tied with a black obi covered in golden koi fish. Her hair was a soft rose color and tied up in a bun with a solitary braid hanging on the front left side. Her eyes were the same telltale green of the Haruno Clan.

A woman.

Kazuya's son…was a daughter…

She seemed to be just as taken aback by his appearance, though he really wasn't surprised. His black eye patch definitely turned heads, and that was without even mentioning his rather unique hair color and clothing choice.

"Kakashi, please allow me to introduce my niece, Haruno Sakura."

_Cherry blossoms, that's ironic, _Kakashi thought wryly, knowing that Yuu was silently laughing at his earlier presumptions.

"Sakura, this is an old friend of your father and myself, Hatake Kakashi."

Sakura dipped her head respectively. "It's a pleasure, Hatake-san."

"Likewise." Kakashi responded in his usual laid-back manner. Her expression was still inquisitive and curious as she sat down between her aunt and uncle, opposite Kakashi.

"Where are Shouhei and Kouhei?" Sakura finally asked as they waited for the food to be brought in. The silence was uncomfortable, and Kakashi kept staring at her, as if trying to see into her soul. She shifted beneath his penetrating gaze as she waited for an answer.

"They are supping with the Aburame Clan. Shouhei will be pleading his case for Nanako's hand." Nanako was the eldest daughter of the clan head.

Sakura nodded, but her curiosity merely deepened. It made sense that Shouhei would have gone, but why had Kouhei gone with him?

"Haven't you told her yet, Yuu?" Kakashi asked a bit impatiently.

"Told me what?"

"Kakashi…" Yuu began, his tone warning the other man to stop. But Kakashi merely shook his head. "No…she needs to know. That is the reason I'm here Yuu."

Saika began shaking, and she grabbed Sakura's hand and held it tightly. The younger woman looked confused, turning her pleading gaze to Kakashi. Bits of impatient anger danced in those green depths, and Kakashi couldn't help but feel that this girl wasn't usually this well-mannered.

Kakashi met her gaze with his own dark eye. "The Haruno Clan was one of the main clans that was entrusted to protect the demon sealed inside of a stone at the Heian Shrine. One week ago the stone was shattered. I need you to come with me."

Silence.

Sakura blinked a few times, a look of incredulity plastered on her face. "What are you…you've _got_ to be kidding me. A _demon_?" And she gave a small derisive snort.

"This is no joke."

"Come on." Sakura leaned forward, face serious with a hint of disbelieving mockery. "There are no such things as demons! The next thing you're going to tell me is that I have some kind of magical power that will seal the demons away and that's why you're asking for my help. And then, low and behold, I will save the world from an evil threat that's been haunting the earth for centuries. So, am I close?" She gave a short laugh.

"Not really." Kakashi answered back in a deadpan, causing Sakura to raise her eyebrow in question, "Oh?"

"Sakura." This time it was her aunt Saika, her voice nothing more than a shaky whisper. "Just…just listen to him please…"

Sakura's gaze softened, flickering uncertainly before she looked to her uncle. "Yuu-otooji…are you…do you actually _believe_ this?"

"Sakura, it has been the duty of the Haruno Clan to guard this demon for decades."

"You're serious…" She whispered disbelievingly. "You're actually _serious?_ _ALL_ of you?" She stared at all three in turn.

Kakashi began, before she could question their sanity any further. "His name is Akumu."

"…Akumu…?" _Nightmare._

Kakashi nodded. "Long ago, he killed a high priestess named Choko. When the other monks and priests found out they tracked the demon down to kill him. He was too strong for their seals, however, and when the samurai came to help, their weapons had no effect against his physical form."

Sakura listened intently, although inwardly she was scoffing at his words. This sounded completely preposterous.

"It was then that the priests and samurai realized that alone they could do nothing against this creature and so they combined their powers to defeat it. They created eight great weapons, and eight samurai fought and sacrificed themselves to finally kill Akumu. But before the killing blow could be made Akumu called upon his brother, Suimin, for aid. And instead of death he was merely cast into a deep slumber where he could not be killed. When the monks saw this they mourned the loss of the eight samurai and tried to think of a way to keep Akumu asleep for all time, because Suimin's hold on him would only last until his wounds healed and then he would awaken to destroy again."

He paused long enough to take a sip of sake, pulling down his scarf faster than Sakura could see before it was back in place and he continued, his husky voice once again muffled by the cloth.

"And so now that he was weakened, the monks knew that they could seal him. They encircled him with the eight great weapons and began an ancient sealing ritual that has long since been forgotten. In the end, five of the weapons were shattered and their power gone. Akumu was sealed inside of a small stone that was placed in the Heian Shrine deep in the mountains. But the monks knew that if that stone was shattered then Akumu would awaken and walk free once more, so they went to the families of the samurai who had wielded the three remaining great weapons. They gave these weapons to those three families and the families swore to guard the stone with their lives and make sure that Akumu never awakened."

"…who were the three clans…?" Sakura whispered, even though she already felt she knew one of the answers.

"The Senju Clan, the Uchiha Clan, and the Haruno Clan."

Sakura let out a small gasp, as she saw a short memory flicker in her mind. She was four, and her father had come to say goodbye before he left on the mission that would end in his death.

_"Don't forget to train hard and become a strong warrior, kohana. You must become the head of this clan and take on the responsibilities it holds to protect this world."_

She had always thought he meant her duty as a samurai to protect the daimyo she would serve. But that was not it at all…and now she could only sit and stare at the silver-haired monk in front of her in shock.

"The…the great weapon of the Haruno Clan. It's…"

"Your father's sword." Kakashi finished for her.

"It was lost when he died." Sakura replied, her voice curt and short. "The Daimyo himself sent word that my father's corpse had been…defiled." Her voice grew raw with hurt and suppressed anger, wavering slightly as she tried to control herself. "I was _four years old_ and I had to sit there and listen to the messenger tell me that the only way my father's remains could be identified was because of the Haruno Clan ring he wore. He had been scalped and his eyes had been gouged out and placed into his mouth." She was shaking now, trying to control herself.

Kakashi was silent as he watched the girl's inner torment. She was trying her hardest not to cry. The tears glistened in her eyes but never fell, and her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. _She's strong, _he thought, and he smiled. All hope was not lost.

"The sword was not lost."

Yuu looked at him sharply—he had turned to Sakura to try to comfort her after her explanation—and shot him a disbelieving stare. "What do you mean, Kakashi?"

Kakashi merely pulled a long object swathed in cloth from his traveling pack and placed it on the table. The cloth was tied tightly with rope, but the tip of a hilt could be seen sticking out. The base of the hilt was ornately decorated, and Sakura saw, on the end of the pommel, the insignia of the Haruno Clan.

"...you've had it…all these years…" Yuu's voice was thick with emotion as he reached forward to touch it, then stopped himself. "I see. You were at that last battle. He entrusted it to you then?"

Kakashi nodded. "That last battle was not to defend the Daimyo, Sakura." He had turned to the pink-haired woman once more. "He died protecting the stone from some of Akumu's followers who had survived the sealing. They had gone to try and shatter the stone and awaken Akumu."

Sakura shook her head furiously. "You're _wrong_. You're lying. This is all a big joke. A big stupid _horribly cruel_ joke." She looked away from him so he would not see that one lone tear had slipped down her cheek. He saw it, however, and it made him lower his voice in an attempt to be soothing.

"Sakura, you are the only one who can help me."

"Why don't you get someone from one of the other clans?" She snapped back. "Why me? I'm just a _girl_. I'm not even a legitimate heir. The only reason the daimyo lets me keep the Haruno Clan is because my uncle is my advisor and in memory of my father."

"The Senju Clan died out long ago, save for the healer Tsunade, and she has not been seen for thirty years. She is old; she would not be able to help fight Akumu."

"What about the Uchiha Clan then?"

Kakashi went silent, before he gave a soft sigh. "The Uchiha Clan was massacred ten years ago by one of its own. The traitor and his younger brother were the only two to survive. The traitor has disappeared and his younger brother has vanished as well."

Sakura stilled for a moment.

"It's your choice, Sakura." Yuu finally said.

Kakashi shook his head. "There isn't a choice. She can't afford to be selfish here Yuu. This isn't just something that can be _declined_. It's her—"

"What, _destiny_?" Sakura snapped.

"Duty." Kakashi finished firmly.

"I don't care." Sakura stood abruptly. "I don't care. I'm not a hero. I'm not here to save the world from a demon that probably doesn't even _exist_. It's my _duty_ to fulfill my father's wishes—"

"To protect the world from Akumu." Kakashi interjected.

"Dammit!" Sakura slammed her hands on the table and leaned across it, her face mere centimeters from Kakashi's, eyes blazing bright emerald. "All I want to do is honor my father's name and carry on the Haruno Clan!"

"I had thought that you would be different." Kakashi shrugged. "But I guess I was wrong. You're too emotional, too selfish. Just like all women."

"Well I'm sorry I don't live up to your expectations." Sakura hissed, voice shaking. "For once, I'd like to make my own decision. I've lived my entire life trying to live up to my father's image. I'm not going to give up everything to chase some insane phantasm of your delusional mind."

"Your father entrusted the duty of training you for this task to me." Kakashi continued. "But I see he was wrong in choosing you."

Sakura merely whirled around and ran out of the room, slamming the shoji door shut behind her.

"Sakura!" Saika stood to run after her but Yuu merely shook his head.

"Let her be, Saika. She needs to think."

"…I don't want her to go…" Saika whispered, and began crying. "She could _die_ Yuu! She has enough to deal with. She knows that the Daimyo and his council have met to discuss her removal as heir to the clan. They're going to name you the heir because we have sons that can carry on the name when you die. She's trying her hardest to hold onto the last piece of her father that she has. Please…" And with this she turned to Kakashi, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't make her choose. Please just…can't you find the Uchiha child?"

"Sasuke left for revenge." Kakashi murmured. "I tried to teach him but as soon as he learned all that he thought he needed to kill Itachi he left to find him. I haven't seen him since. I don't know if he's dead or if he's fulfilled his goal. I can't hope for something that will probably never happen. Kazuya's daughter is our only hope."

"She's just a child." Saika shook her head.

"No." Yuu murmured, running a hand through his beard. "She's a woman, Saika. She grew up long ago. She will make the right choice, whatever it is. Kazuya knew she would choose correctly. We will see which choice that is. Tomorrow Kakashi…she will have her mind made up by tomorrow."

Kakashi nodded, standing, tucking the sword back into his pack as he did so.

"Let me show you to your room." Saika hurriedly brushed the tears from her face and gave him a tremulous smile. "Please don't…don't be angry with Sakura."

Kakashi gave a sigh and a sheepish smile. "I'm not mad at her, Saika. I'm just…frustrated with all of this. I'm worried for her. Now that Akumu is awake he won't hesitate to kill any member of the three clans left to make sure that they can never reseal him. It's only a matter of time before he finds her. I need to take her away from here until she is strong enough to defeat him."

"She can't do it alone." Saika whispered hoarsely. "She's only one. There were eight last time."

"Then she'll have to be strong enough for all eight." Was all Kakashi said as they walked out of the room. The last thing he saw as he turned to tell Yuu that he would see him in the morning was the redhead resting his elbows on the low table, his head in his hands.

* * *

_This is stupid. It can't be true. It _can't_ be!_ Sakura thought angrily, face buried in her pillow. _There's no such things as demons. They're just tales told to children to make them obey their parents. Myths. Legends. _

_NOT REAL._

…but why had his words sounded so true? She couldn't deny it. It fit with everything her father had ever told her. Everything made sense now.

It was too much too soon. Why couldn't she have been like any normal girl her age whose only dream was to be the perfect wife to the perfect husband?

_Just think on it, Sakura, _a voice in the back of her head whispered. _You'll make the right choice, I know it._

She curled up on her sleeping mat, pulling the blanket over her head and snuggling deep down into it.

_The whole world is depending on you._

_…can you really afford to be selfish?_

* * *

_"Otousan!" Four-year-old Sakura walked down the long hallway of the Haruno home. "Otousan, where are you?"_

_"What's wrong, kohana?"_

_Sakura whirled around at the sound of his voice, a deep timbre that made her grin from ear to ear. "Otousan!" She lunged at him, wrapping her tiny arms as far around his waist as she could. She heard him chuckle as he patted her head._

_"Otousan, is it true that you're leaving on a long trip?" Sakura asked, her face scrunching up into a pout._

_He smiled down at her patiently. "Yes, Sakura. I have a very important job that I must do. It has been the job of the Haruno Clan for a very long time now."_

_"But…" Sakura frowned, sticking out her chin defiantly. "I want you to stay here with _me_."_

_He knelt down so he could look her in the eyes, his face serious. "Sometimes we can't always have what we want, ne? Like when I told you that you couldn't eat the chocolate your uncle brought you because you would spoil your dinner?"_

_Sakura nodded, still pouting._

_"Well, sometimes we know that we don't want to do something but we have to do it, even if it's something that will take us away from what we love." His voice had become husky with emotion as he pulled her close in a tight hug._

_"Don't ever forget that I love you, Sakura."_

_"I love you too otousan." She answered back confusedly, her voice muffled by his shirt. "But why are you crying? I didn't cry when I couldn't have my chocolate—well, I only cried a _little_." She corrected, before she gave a bright smile. "So you shouldn't cry either because when you get back I'm going to give you a big hug!"_

_The tears slipped from his eyes and down his cheeks. _

_"Did I say something wrong otousan?" She asked worriedly, afraid she had angered or saddened him in some way. "I'm sorry daddy I didn't mean to make you cry!" And she began to sniffle._

_"It's alright, Sakura, it's alright." He murmured against her hair, kissing the top of her head and leaning his own face against it, eyes closed. "Just remember…remember that I love you and that one day, you'll become a great sword master."_

_"Just like otousan?"_

_"…just like otousan."_

_"I'll work really hard!"_

_"You must continue to uphold the Haruno Clan. Fulfill our promises. A Haruno never goes back on a promise."_

_"Ok!"  
_

_"I love you."_

_"I love you too otousan!"  
_

_Little Sakura rushed down the hallway at the sound of pattering footsteps and the raised voices of the servants. They rushed passed her, not noticing the small little girl in her oversized sleeping yukata as she made her way to the porch behind them. What was going on? Was her father home? The thought __made her smile as she slid the door open, "Otousan!"  
_

_She was met with silence, as everyone turned to look at her. They were all gathered on the front lawn, some standing on the porch. Some were crying, while others wailed loudly and some stood stoic and silent, tears trailing down their faces. It was still dark, with little lanterns lighting the pathway from the gate to the house. _

_Coming down the pathway was a group of samurai, all bearing the mark of the Haruno Clan, save for one in the front who wore the regalia of the daimyo's royal guard._

_"Otousan!" Sakura called out, jumping down the steps and rushing forward._

_"Sakura!" She heard the servants call, several trying to pull her back. But she didn't heed them as she continued forward. Her aunt and uncle were at the head of the precession—her aunt had gone to meet them at the gate. She was crying softly and when she saw Sakura she stopped, bending down and grabbing the young girl in her arms._

_"Sakura, let's go back inside. You should be sleeping." She spoke, and her voice was full of tears._

_"I want to see otousan, where is he?" She asked cheerfully. She then noticed the somber faces of the Haruno guards. Several of them were holding something._

_"Sakura please—" Saika began, but was cut off as Sakura wriggled free of her arms and ran through the crowd of samurai. "Otousan! Otousan!"_

_She skidded to a halt in front of the four men holding the large object. They had set it down slowly and were trying to block her view of the silk-swathed object lying on it. The silk, which was normally a light blue—her father's cloak, she knew that color anywhere—was a deep maroon, almost black in the still darkened sky._

_She pushed passed the guards and stood in front of him, staring in disbelief. His shield was placed over his silk-covered body. His helmet lay at his feet. _

_"O…otousan…" She whispered—because she knew it was him, there was no denying it. She could smell the blood, the scent was choking her. She couldn't see his face but she knew…and she suddenly felt sick and a deep pain ached in her chest. She didn't know what was wrong, only that it was worse than falling and scraping her knees or cutting herself when she helped the cook in the kitchen._

_"Otousan! Otousan!" She tried to reach forward and hug him but her aunt pulled her back._

_"No Sakura." She whispered fervently, holding her tightly._

_"Otousan!" Sakura screamed. "Wake up otousan!"_

_"Sakura…"_

_"OTOUSAN!!"_

Sakura's eyes shot open as she gave a small gasp, shooting out of the blankets into a sitting position. Her shoulders shook as she breathed heavily, one hand on her chest. The room was pitch black—it must have been late.

"…otousan…" She whispered into the darkness.

The memory of that morning was painful. She hadn't thought about it for years now, but bringing up his death that night had made old memories resurface. She swallowed to wet her dry throat—and then stilled completely, breath hitching in her throat.

There was someone in her room.

She steadied her breathing as she slowly reached her hand back to grab the dagger beneath her pillow when the sound of something heavy dragging on the floor echoed and she lunged for her weapon.

She was slammed into the wall and she let out a cry, her fingers brushing against the hilt of the dagger and slipping, losing her grip on the weapon. Cold steel was pressed to her neck.

"Don't move."

The voice was cold and strangely inhuman. She swallowed, and the cold weapon dug a bit harder into her skin. "Who-who are you?" She whispered.

All she heard was a chuckle, and then his breath against her neck. It drifted to her nose and she was overwhelmed with nausea. The smell of rotting flesh and blood encompassed her, making a sour taste in her mouth as she tried not to vomit.

"Seems it's time to kill you now, little kanshisha."

_Guardian?_ She thought, struggling against him wildly. His weapon broke the skin of her neck, a few droplets of blood running down the blade.

That was when the door slid open with a loud snap and light filled the room. Sakura gasped as she was blinded by the golden gleam, seeing only the outline of a dark shadow before it threw something and she heard a grunt from behind her and something warm splattered against her back and face as she was dropped. She fell to the ground, rolling a few feet away before she sprung to her feet and into a fighting position.

Kakashi took another step into the room from where he was standing in the doorway, his gaze serious.

"Are you alright?"

Sakura merely stared—in building horror—at the thing that had been holding her. The light from the doorway had illuminated half of her room and part of the creature was visible. She didn't know where the fur ended and the scales began, only that whatever it was it wasn't human.

A hand was outstretched towards her, its claws bent as if to beckon her forward, curving wickedly into sharp points. Her hand went to her bleeding neck and she gave a small gasp before falling to her knees and throwing up her supper.

Kakashi knelt next to the monster and nonchalantly pulled his dagger from its forehead. He stood and waited patiently for her to finish heaving before he spoke. "We need to go."

"What…" Sakura wiped her mouth on her sleeve. "What was that?"

"An Oni." Kakashi was pulling her to her feet. "Some of them work for Akumu, like this one. He was sent to kill you. We have to go. They've surrounded the Haruno compound. Your guards are fighting them now."

"My aunt and uncle!" Sakura gasped, finally pulling out of her stupor at the thought of them in danger. "We have to go help them."

Kakashi shook his head. "The oni are after you. If we leave then they will leave the Haruno compound alone. Come."

"But—"

"Come." His voice was firm and loud as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into the hall—and the sound of battle reached her ears. How had she not heard it before?

"The oni have the ability to suck the sound out of an area. They made sure you would not awaken when they attacked." Kakashi spoke as they ran, as if he had read her mind.

"This can't…this can't be happening." Sakura whispered to herself.

"Move!" Kakashi grabbed her and pushed her against the wall, shielding her body with his own as a door to their right opened. He stiffened against her—she was breathing heavily, her breasts grazing his chest.

"Kakashi-san! Sakura!"

"Shouhei!" Sakura called out in relief as Kakashi stepped away from her to reveal her cousin. He was covered in blood but none of it seemed to be his own. His eyes were bright with the rush of battle.

"Give me a sword!" Sakura demanded, turning to Kakashi. He shook his head, "No time."

"I can _fight_."

"Now is not the time to fight." Kakashi grabbed her arm once again. "Now is the time to run."

"Hurry, they're overwhelming the gate guards." Shouhei answered, before turning to leave. "We'll make sure they don't get inside before you can get out. Hurry."

"Shouhei—" Sakura began, but merely stopped herself from saying something that would sound too sappy and emotional. She merely yelled, "Don't get yourself killed, got it?"

He grinned, giving her a mock salute. "Understood _taichou_!" And then he whirled around and disappeared.

"We have to hurry." Kakashi's voice was a little urgent and impatient as he tugged on her arm and began leading her down another darkened hallway.

"The only way out of the house is through the front and back doors!" Sakura explained. "This hallway leads to my parents' old room. There's no way to get out from here that the oni wouldn't have already found."

"There are old passages underneath this house made for just this occasion."

"Well yes, but don't you think that the oni would have found those passages already?"

"Not this one." Kakashi grunted as he opened the door to the room and walked inside, Sakura behind him. Her parents' room was just like she remembered, clean and practically empty. Everything was perfect, no dust, nothing. It smelled slightly of sandalwood and jasmine, and the scent was calming to her taut nerves.

Kakashi walked over to the large trunk in the corner and pushed it across the floor easily, revealing a trap door. Sakura could only stare at him in awe. She knew for a fact that the trunk weighed too much for one man to move; it took at least two well muscled samurai to move it the last time her aunt had wanted to get it cleaned. It was a present from their daimyo to the Haruno family, and was one of the most treasured items in the house.

Kakashi merely kicked the trap door open and motioned for her to climb down. "Come on."

"But the oni—"

"They can't go down this passage." Kakashi answered as he began climbing down the wooden ladder behind her. "This passage is guarded with very powerful seals that they cannot pass."

Sakura merely nodded. She was still in too much shock to actually process any of this. Akumu, the oni, the destruction of her home above her, the death of those she loved. She just followed Kakashi numbly, unable to fully comprehend that this all wasn't just some terrible nightmare.

The passageway led them down, deep into the ground. As they went the sounds of battle slowly faded into nothingness. The silence was thick, and the sound of their footsteps echoed loudly in the enclosed space.

She wondered if they would ever surface, as she took a deep breath and her lungs burned as stagnant, musky air filled her.

"Almost there," Kakashi whispered as they made a right. The tunnel smelled strongly of earth and mold. There was no light, and Sakura wondered how Kakashi knew where to go. She was barely keeping from tripping, her bare feet against the cold earth making her shiver.

"Alright." Kakashi spoke and she bumped into him, unable to tell that he'd stopped. She let out a small grunt before steadying herself. "Time to go up."

"I can't _see_."

"Just feel your way. I have to go ahead to make sure it's safe when we surface." Kakashi's voice was calm and collected. How could he act so nonchalant when her family was _dying_ above them?

But she merely did as she was told, stumbling forward until her hands touched wood. She slowly lifted her foot, searching for the ladder step that she could brace herself on. She found it, and slowly began her ascent. She heard Kakashi climbing swiftly and confidently above her. Every now and then a small clump or dirt would fall from his sandal and onto her head, but she merely shook her head to get it off and continued climbing. She was, however, shivering horribly.

It was freezing and she was wearing nothing but a thin sleeping yukata.

"Stop."

She did so immediately at his order, her ragged breathing the only sound after his one word command. She then heard the groaning of stone before a sliver of light reached her and she could see Kakashi's faint outline.

The well! They had climbed up the abandoned well that stood just outside the walls of the compound. He climbed out, reaching his hand down to help her. She took it and he lifted her from the well easily, as if she weighed nothing.

"Come on, we aren't out of this yet." Kakashi began running towards the trees a few yards away. Sakura followed, her bare feet making no sound against the soft grass. She could hear shouts and screams from behind her but she didn't dare look back, not now. If she did she didn't think she would be able to continue forward.

She felt as if she were abandoning her family as she ran with Kakashi through the forest, sticks and sharp rocks cutting into her feet as they began making their way up the hill. Sakura was feeling winded by this time, and she held onto tree branches to help pull herself up as they went. Kakashi seemed undaunted as he continued ahead of her, his steps never wavering.

_Surely he can't be human!_ She thought irritably. But then again, with all she had seen this night, she wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't human at all.

They broke free of the tree line a few minutes later and her feet once again met the glorious softness of grass. She let out a small sigh of relief as they climbed to the crest of the hill and Kakashi let her rest.

She slumped to the ground and took several ragged breaths, wrapping her arms around herself to try and gather some warmth.

"From here we'll head to a shrine near Rain. We will have shelter there for a few nights before we can continue towards Cloud."

She said nothing, merely stared down at the ground, teeth chattering as she clenched her eyes shut, trying not to cry. What was happening? Dear god this couldn't be real. It was all a dream, just a dream. Soon she would wake up to the sound of her uncle and her cousins talking outside of her door to get her up for training.

That was when warmth engulfed her and she opened her eyes slowly. Kakashi was standing in front of her, his gaze knowing and sympathetic. He had taken off his outer robe and placed it on her shoulders. She pulled the cloth tighter around her body and slowly looked passed him to the Haruno compound, wreathed in the orange-red glow of flames.

_I guess my decision was made for me._

_There's no turning back…nothing I can do…_

_…otousan…give me strength…_

"We have to continue on our way, Sakura."

"…right…" She whispered, slowly standing and turning towards the surrounding forest once more. She didn't look back as they broke into a run.

* * *

**(A\N: I hope you all liked it. :) Tell me what you think.**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka**

**P.S. oni information: **

**In folklore there are also tales of supernatural creatures called the 'Oni'. Artists depict the 'Oni' with horns and wearing tiger skins. They have no neck, but a crest of hair and a big mouth; their fingers are clawed, and their arms elevated to the shoulders. These artistic renditions of demons not only represent the supernatural, but also embodiments of the evil facets of human nature. The earth 'Oni', according to Buddhist belief, are responsible for disease and epidemics (they are dressed in red). The 'Oni' of hell (red or green bodies) hunt for sinners and taking them by chariot to Emma-Hoo, the god of hell. There are invisible demons among the 'Oni' whose presence can be detected because they sing or whistle. The 'Oni' who are women are those transformed into demons after death by jealousy or violent grief. The Buddhist 'Oni' demons did not always represent the forces of evil. In Buddhist lore there are tales of monks who after death became 'Oni' in order to protect temples from potential disasters.)**


	3. Chapter 2: Shoki

**(A\N: Well everyone, here is the second chapter. I'm glad all of you like the story so much. :) I hope it continues to please.)**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Shoki**

* * *

Sakura awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. She blinked wearily a few times, feeling pleasantly warm. Her gaze met scattered leaves as they blew in the wind, as the trees shaded her with their branches. Little patches of sunlight streamed in through the leaves and bathed her sleeping area in a soft golden glow.

Grass tickled the base of her neck and she scrunched up her nose at the sensation. Her clothes were slightly damp from the dew that dusted the clearing, and she gave a soft groan as she pushed herself into a sitting position. She was wrapped in a large cloak, and her brow furrowed in confusion. A cloak? This wasn't hers…

And her eyes widened as everything came rushing back to her and she let out a choked sob. "…no…" _Oh god, why couldn't it have all been a horrible dream?_

"Are you awake?"

She looked over to her right, where the last man she wanted to see at the moment sat on a rock. His pose was laid-back and relaxed, but she could see the tension lying just beneath the surface, and knew that he was ready for any threat or danger that came upon them.

"Yes." She answered back stiffly, not meeting his gaze for fear he would see the tears in her eyes. She wouldn't cry in front of this man, especially not after what he had said to her the night before.

_I am not a child!_ She screamed silently, eyes glowing in her anger. She hurriedly pulled the cloak tighter around herself, trying to hide her body as much from Kakashi's view as possible. She felt exposed and vulnerable in her thin sleeping yukata. The wet grass brushed her bare legs and she looked down to notice that there were clean bandages around her feet. _He must have cleaned and wrapped them while I slept._ While the thought should have made her smile at his thoughtfulness, she merely twisted her lips into a monotonous scowl. It was the only way she could keep from crying.

What if her aunt and uncle were dead? Her cousins? The servants? The corners of her eyes burned and she blinked furiously, angry at herself for her weakness. She merely hoped that Kakashi didn't notice.

He did notice, but he wisely kept his mouth shut from his place atop the stone. He sighed softly, more in annoyance at the situation than anything else. He had stayed up to watch over Sakura during their two hour 'rest'. They'd been running all night, and she had practically collapsed from exhaustion. He really couldn't blame her, however. It was freezing and she had been wearing nothing but a practically see-through yukata—not that he'd paid attention to its transparency or that he could practically see her _chest_ through it of course—and she'd been running through the forest without any shoes on.

Her feet had been bleeding horribly when he had finally got up the courage to walk over to her after she'd fallen asleep. He had been tentative and gentle, worrying he would wake her up with his ministrations.

But it had been necessary, especially if they were to escape before Akumu's oni had enough time to realize they weren't at the Haruno home. He only hoped that Yuu, Saika, and their sons had escaped. _Surely_ the other Clans would have come to the aid of the Haruno Clan when they saw the flames. But the Haruno compound was so far from any of the other clans. Their village—filled with those under the Haruno Clan's protection—had been hit hard by the oni before they'd gotten to the main home. The people had fought furiously, but they were craftsman, not warriors. And the guards that had been at the edge of the Haruno's borders had been killed quickly and proficiently, barely able to set off the alarm before they'd been killed.

"…do you think they're dead?"

Kakashi blinked, turning back to look at Sakura. She was standing now, though he saw her wince as she put pressure on her wounded feet.

He didn't answer her question, merely jumped off of the rock and landed nimbly on his feet. "We need to get you some clothes. We'll keep to the woods but we'll follow the road. We should find a village close by."

"Alright." She whispered tonelessly.

It bothered him a bit, the way she followed him without any resistance. He had expected her to be a raging spitfire. At least, that was what he had seen in her eyes. But now they were dull and unfocused.

Shock, he told himself.

Kakashi gave a soft sigh before appearing behind her, gathering her in his arms bridal style. He heard her give a yelp before she glared up at him, "What the hell is this for?" A defiant blush dusted her cheeks.

"You don't have any shoes." He smiled, wondering if she could see it behind his scarf as he began walking. At first she squirmed in his arms before settling back down, giving him a placid glare.

_At least she isn't moping._ He thought contentedly, but decided not to say anything to the pink-haired woman in his arms. He didn't want to remind her of the events of the night before, because strangely enough he became uncomfortable when her eyes dulled that way, like the withering leaves of a dying tree.

* * *

They entered the small village nine hours later--most of those hours Sakura had spent sleeping. Sweat was trickling down her neck and dampening her yukata, making it stick to her skin. And the cloak that Kakashi had made her wrap around herself was like an oven. She knew that Kakashi was probably faring worse than herself, in his thick monk robes. He didn't seem to mind, however, even as he carried her and the large pack on his back that held her father's sword and who knew what else.

The village was small and the streets were relatively empty due to the heat. Vendors watched them curiously, not used to seeing outsiders. It was a poor town, or so Sakura surmised from the tattered edges of their clothes.

"Keep your hair covered. We're still in Haruno territory. While I doubt that anyone here this close to the border would recognize you, we can't take any chances." Kakashi murmured down to her, and she nodded absently, pulling a bit at the edge of Kakashi's cloak, shadowing her face even more. If anyone here recognized her they would be in grave danger from Akumu and his oni, she knew that. And as the Haruno heir it was her duty to protect the people that lived on Haruno land.

She still could hardly believe this was all real. It seemed like a child's tale, one her father would have told her before she went to bed. She'd always loved those kinds of stories, the ones with a brave princess who fought off monsters with her prince by her side.

_I wonder what Ino would think if she saw me now, _Sakura sighed to herself. _She would probably think it was horribly romantic that a handsome man saved me and is whisking me away somewhere. She probably wouldn't even think on the fact that I have demons following after me and I'm probably going to die._

But that was Ino for you, hopelessly romantic, daydreaming Ino…Sakura only hoped that the oni had left the Haruno lands quickly and hadn't gone further into Konoha, where the other Clans lived. If only she knew that her friends and family were safe…surely she would be able to concentrate more on the task at hand. The task that was set before her whether she wanted to accept it or not.

"And who are you?"

Sakura blinked, just then noticing that Kakashi had stopped in front of a small inn. A plump woman in a plain but well-made kimono was standing at the door.

"My name is Asari Daichi and this is my wife, Kana. We were traveling and she became weak in the heat. I wondered if we could rest here for a few hours before continuing." Kakashi lied smoothly, smiling down at the woman from beneath his mask.

_WIFE!?_ Sakura felt her cheeks burn, glad that her cloak hid this as she tried to elbow her 'husband' in the stomach. He either didn't feel it or decided to ignore it as he waited for the woman to speak.

"Of course, of course." The woman smiled, though her eyes flickered worriedly to Sakura, who did look weak and sickly with her legs bandaged up and hanging limp in Kakashi's arms. But her eyes also flickered with curiosity as she spoke again, "I was just wondering…why would you be traveling this time of year anyway?"

"My wife is with child. We wanted to visit her father's family in the Star village before it became too difficult to travel." Kakashi continued smoothly, not noticing Sakura's horrified gasp at his statement.

Sakura pressed a hand to her stomach, mortified. _Do I really look pregnant?_

"Oh my!" The woman's surprise deepened. "But why are you—"

"I'm afraid my wife was in too dire need of assistance and rest and I panicked earlier this morning. Our servant is still on the road with our belongings." He shrugged. "I'm afraid I just get so worried with my dear Kana. I seem to lose all sense of reason where she is concerned."

The woman's smile grew as she looked at the two fondly. She supposed she could ignore the man's strange way of dressing and the woman's lack of clothing. The two seemed so utterly in love! It was a beautiful sight to behold and she sighed wistfully. It made her miss her late husband even more.

"Well let's get you inside then, come on. We can't have your dear wife out here in the heat, now can we? I'll set up a nice bath for you and get you some clean clothes." She continued talking as she ushered them inside. "Until your servant arrives you'll need to wear something besides that yukata. I'll have it washed for you while you take your bath, it's probably filthy."

"Thank you." Sakura whispered.

"Ah she speaks!" The innkeeper laughed as she took them down a long hallway and up a set of stairs. "And such a beautiful voice you have my lady. You should speak more often. I was afraid you were mute. But then again if you were it would only mean you must be extremely beautiful, to entrap your husband so without even a voice."

Kakashi laughed heartily at that, and Sakura couldn't help but smile. The woman was kind and had an air about her that made you instantly warm up to her. They finally came to a room and the woman opened the door, ushering them inside.

"Alright, here you are. I'll have some food brought up while you take your bath as well, my lady." The woman bustled around the room, straightening things up as Kakashi carried Sakura inside. It was a small but quaint room, with a large tatami mat rolled up in a corner—which the innkeeper was hurriedly unrolling. There was a table and a trunk as well, and a large window that looked out into the forest.

"I'll go get your bath ready, my lady." The woman bustled off after she'd finished with the tatami mats. Kakashi placed Sakura down gently and she whirled around to face him, cloak slipping off as she poked him in the chest. "Wife huh?" She knew her face was bright red but she didn't really care at the moment.

Kakashi was looking down at her with an air of amusement. "It's just a cover story, Sakura. But really, if the thought is so repulsing…" he trailed off as Sakura's blush deepened.

He gave a low chuckle as he bent down, his face inches from her own. "Or maybe the thought isn't repulsive at all, hm?"

"You're a perverted old man!" Sakura sputtered, turning around and sitting herself down on the tatami mat.

Kakashi merely let out another loud laugh. "I'm going to go and get you some clothing and buy some traveling gear and supplies. Don't leave the inn."

Sakura nodded sullenly, still trying to stop the blush that splattered across her cheeks. Kakashi placed a small paper seal on the windowsill and one on the door before opening it. He looked back at Sakura's questioning gaze and explained, "These seals will tell me if any oni try and come while I'm away."

"Oh, ok." Sakura mumbled.

"I'll see you later…_Kana_." Kakashi teased, before ducking out of the room as Sakura threw his cloak at him. She watched it hit the closed door before sliding down to the ground. She frowned, standing up and hobbling over to the door and picking it up. Her feet didn't hurt too badly, but it was still uncomfortable to walk on them.

She merely folded the cloak absently, placing it on top of the trunk in the corner of the room. Then she pulled one of the chairs from the table in the other corner and sat it in front of the window before settling herself on it. She gave a soft sigh as she leaned against the windowsill, looking out at the small town and the forest beyond it.

_Is this how I'm going to live for the rest of my life? Running from village to village from the oni?_ It was a depressing thought, and she merely rested her head on her arms, peering outside through half-lidded eyes. _No, I suppose not…only until I find Akumu or get killed by his oni._

That thought wasn't a happy one either.

The door slid open and the innkeeper walked inside. "Oh my!" She gasped as Sakura turned to her in surprise.

Sakura blinked, before her eyes widened and she realized that she didn't have anything to cover her face. The woman had recognized her!

"I figured you were beautiful but…" The woman smiled. "You're absolutely breathtaking, Kana-san."

Sakura blushed softly. "Oh…thank you…" _She didn't recognize me…thank god._

"Well since your husband seems to have left you for the moment let's get you a bath, shall we?"

"Thank you." Those seemed to be the only words she could say to the cheerful woman. She stood and followed her down the hall, tugging on a strand of her rosette hair thoughtfully. Beautiful? The woman had said she was pretty, breathtaking even. It made her feel good, even if she supposed it wasn't true. Compliments had always pleased her, because she got so few of them, and most of them were in jest.

"You remind me of my daughter, you know." The woman continued as they turned down another hallway. "She was always so soft spoken and polite." She smiled back at Sakura. "...but she was a sickly child." Her smile faded a bit. "…she died when she was fifteen."

"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, uncomfortable under the woman's nostalgic gaze.

"It's alright." The woman shook her head, as if to clear out the bad memories. "I just imagine she'd be like you if she had lived." She slid open a pair of doors and revealed a steaming bath. "Here you are, my dear."

"Thank you." Sakura murmured again, wondering why she was seemed to be reduced to two word replies.

"It's no problem. I'll go and get you some clothes. You just slip out of that nasty yukata." The woman answered back, once again her cheerful self.

Sakura nodded, taking the yukata off. She felt strange, standing naked in front of the woman. But the woman was unfazed as she grabbed the yukata from Sakura's hands and bundled it up in her arms. "Now you just enjoy your bath and I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Alright."

The woman closed the door behind her and Sakura gave a soft sigh, slowly untying the bandages around her feet. The cuts hadn't reopened much, thanks to the salve that Kakashi had rubbed into them. Sakura would ask him for some more later. Sakura merely held her breath before stepping tentatively into the water.

It stung for a moment, as the water hit the wounds. But the throbbing slowly decreased to nothing and Sakura slid fully into the water with a contented sigh. It seemed like ages since she'd been able to take a bath, even if it had only been around a day or so.

She scrubbed the dirt from her arms, grabbing the soap from the side of the bath and lathering her body in it. It smelled like jasmine, which made her smile. It seemed that smell would follow her everywhere. Her father had always told her that her mother smelled like jasmines. Maybe her mother was protecting her, in her own way. The smell always seemed to calm her and allow her to think.

And think she did, as she began to wash her hair.

_If I ever want to see my friends again I will have to defeat the demon Akumu. But…it will be difficult to do alone. At least I have Kakashi-san with me. I will need to train more with my sword if I am going to be strong enough to fight him at all. How _do_ you fight and kill a demon?_

She supposed that Kakashi would teach her. But…would she be good enough?

_What if I fail? What if everyone dies because I really am weak?_

She rinsed out her hair, looking down at her reflection in the now-murky water. Her green eyes glittered with determination.

_I have to do this. I can't back out now. Not if I'm really the only one who can._

_There's no time to be selfish._

_I have to protect all of them. Yuu-otooji, Saika-obasan, Shouhei-niisan, Kouhei-niisan…Ino, Hinata, Neji…_she swallowed, before finalizing her decision with a curt nod.

_I'll do it._

The door slid open once again and the innkeeper walked inside holding a bundle of clothes. "Oh my!" She looked down at the water. "You really have been traveling for a while, to collect all that dirt."

Sakura smiled softly at her. "Yes. I'm sorry."

The woman waved her off. "It's fine my dear, perfectly fine. Here. I'm going to go and have the cook make you something to eat, alright?" And she hurried out of the room before Sakura could say thank you. She merely slipped out of the water and dried herself off.

The woman had given her a nice sleeping yukata in a faded blue which she wrapped around her body with a smile. It smelled comforting, like tea. She blinked, however, when she noticed what lay beneath the yukata. It was a grey kimono, with a cherry blossoms floating across its surface from where they had fallen off the cherry tree that twisted around the bottom left and up the chest of the kimono. While simple, it was more beautiful to Sakura than any kimono she had ever owned.

Sakura ran a hand along the silk and realization struck her.

_This was her daughter's kimono._

She felt uncertain as she picked up the kimono reverently in her arms. It would be rude to give it back, but she felt uncomfortable—and a little guilty—about taking it. She merely opened the door and headed to her room, head bent low in thought.

* * *

Kakashi gave a soft sigh, leaning in the windowsill of the room. On the tatami mat was a pile of clothing and other supplies that he hadn't yet put into the two packs leaning against the wall beneath the windowsill.

He'd just arrived from his shopping trip and had been a bit disheartened with the selection provided to him. He supposed, however, that this town was too poor to provide him with anything else. So he took the best that he could and knew that they could live with it. The supplies would last them for a while, at least until they were out of the Land of Fire.

He took a bite of a rice ball he'd taken from the tray the innkeeper woman had provided for himself and his 'wife'.

The door slid open and Sakura walked inside, stopping when she saw him. "Oh, you're back."

Kakashi nodded. "I've gotten all the supplies we'll need for the time being. Have a look."

Sakura knelt next to the pile of clothing and frowned. Could Kakashi have been more sloppy? They weren't even folded! She mentally scolded him as she began sorting through the few pairs of clothing.

"These…are all gi and hakama!" She finally exclaimed, holding up a pair.

"Yes." Kakashi nodded. "I guessed that you were becoming embarrassed with being my wife"—at this she blushed—"so I decided you could be my student and I'll be your sensei. It won't be hard for you to play the part of a male, with that attitude of yours."

Sakura shot him a glare.

"And we can bind your breasts. Luckily they aren't large enough to provide a problem—" He ducked the tabi that Sakura threw at him, grabbing it before it flew out the window. "That was rather rude."

"Look who's talking." Sakura grumbled, walking up to him and swiping the tabi from his hands. She then grabbed one of the traveling packs and set it on the ground by the tatami mat. "This is mine, I'm guessing."

"Yes. You'll have to carry it yourself, so don't make it too heavy. I'll carry my own pack and our food sack." Kakashi murmured.

Sakura nodded, before she placed the innkeeper's kimono at the bottom carefully.

"What is that?"

"The owner gave it to me as a gift." Sakura explained softly. "It would be rude not to keep it."

Kakashi shrugged. "You're the one that has to carry the pack, not me."

Sakura merely glared at him. "So, Kakashi-_sensei_…when are we going to be leaving? And when are you going to start teaching me what I must do to fight Akumu and his oni?"

"I'll be teaching you the basics on the road. You are apparently a skilled swordsman so I'm not too worried, though we'll have to practice to keep you in shape." Kakashi began, "We'll wait for the more complicated moves when we reach the Doshaburi Shrine in Rain."

Sakura nodded.

"As for when we're leaving…as soon as you eat something and get dressed."

"What?" Sakura exclaimed, shooting to her feet. "What do you mean? Aren't we going to stay the night here?"

Kakashi shook his head. "We can't afford to stay in any place for a long period of time. We would merely endanger the people who live here. Do you want that?"

"…no…" Sakura whispered, before she grabbed a set of clothing and a roll of bandages from the pile. She turned to look at Kakashi. "Well? I can't change with you in here."

"I have to make sure you're safe, Sakura. If I left you for any moment of time you could be harmed and I would be helpless to save you." Kakashi grinned.

"You're such a pervert!" Sakura pointed at him, glaring. "You didn't seem too worried about my safety when you left to go get _SUPPLIES_!"

Kakashi coughed.

Sakura merely grumbled something under her breath before she grabbed her clothes and headed to where a shoji screen stood against one wall. She slipped behind it, before peering around the side to give him a glare, "Don't peek." Then she began undressing.

Kakashi watched her outline that showed through the screen from the candlelight. She was slim and fit, with long legs that tapered down to small, cute feet. He blinked, surprised at his own thoughts. He was a little ashamed of himself, considering this young woman was going to be his STUDENT.

Besides, she was loud-mouthed and had violent tendencies. He liked his woman quiet, soft-spoken, and compliant. So why was he thinking such things about Haruno Sakura, of all people?

"Alright. I'm done." Sakura huffed, stepping out from behind the screen. Kakashi smiled softly, wondering at the transformation. She wore a normal forest green gi and light grey hakama, and the bandages hid her chest from view, though they looked like they were tied a bit too tight for comfort. She'd taken her hair out of its small braid and placed it in a high ponytail, with bangs framing her face.

She looked like a boy—if not an extremely feminine and adorably cute boy.

"Now you just need your weapons." Kakashi spoke. "But you need to eat before we go."

Sakura nodded, sitting down comfortably on the tatami mat in her outfit. Kakashi knew that as a swordfighter Sakura had probably worn an outfit like this most of her life, but it was still strange to see a woman wearing such clothing.

Kakashi began shuffling around in his own pack, pulling out two objects wrapped in cloth. One was long and Sakura knew it was her father's sword. The other was thinner and smaller. Kakashi unraveled the cloth surrounding it and handed it to her. "You need to keep this tantō with you at all times."

Sakura nodded, slipping it into a small band on her arm, hidden by her sleeve. She took a bite of a rice ball and waited for Kakashi to continue.

He pulled the cloth off of the Haruno sword and Sakura was struck with how…plain the sheath seemed. In fact, the entire blade looked rather un-awe-inspiring. Every memory she had of her father holding the sword made it seem like some magnificent weapon. But it was simple and plain—actually it was rather ugly, save for the tip of the hilt which was decorated with the Haruno crest in crimson and gold.

He held it out to her and she hesitantly took it from his hands. It was heavier than she had thought—heavier than a normal blade, but nothing she couldn't handle. She pulled it an inch out of the sheath, looking over the steel blade.

Kakashi watched her inspect the weapon and felt hope well inside of him. She knew swords, that was obvious. It was in the way she weighed the weapon in her hands, eyes going over every inch of it, testing the hilt and blade for any weaknesses or breaks.

She respected her weapon as well, he noticed. She handled it with great care, unlike his old student Sasuke, who merely saw his own blade as a means to an end.

"Its name is Shoki (1), right?" Sakura whispered, smiling softly. "I had forgotten what it was called, but it seems to all be coming back to me. Ironic, isn't it? I mean, that the sword is named thus."

Kakashi shook his head. "It isn't ironic or circumstantial. It was named Shoki because of its purpose and power."

Sakura nodded, "I guess…I just…I suppose I should have realized everything sooner. Now that I look at it, everything points to what you told me, about Akumu and the oni…" She ended in a whisper.

"We need to get going. Finish packing."

Sakura placed the sword at her hip before slipping on her tabi socks and tabi, finishing placing her clothing and other supplies in her pack. She shouldered the pack with a sigh. "Alright…" She breathed in deeply, before exhaling slowly. "Let's go."

Kakashi nodded, having already shouldered his own pack as well as their food sack. He jumped onto the window ledge, before launching himself off, landing on his feet on the ground floor with ease. Sakura followed, taking one look back at the small inn.

…_thank you, _she called silently to the woman. _And please…stay safe._ Then she followed Kakashi into the forest once more.

* * *

_(1) Shoki: During the early T'ang Dynasty, Shoki was a physician in the province of Shensi, China. He was considered very ugly. Hoping to advance his career, he took the examinations required to enter government service. Although he performed brilliantly, Shoki's dreams of advancement were shattered. Some say Shoki was cruelly cheated out of first place. Others say he was awarded first place by the examiners, who praised his work, saying it was equal to that of the wisest ancients._

_But when Shoki was presented to the court, the emperor rejected him because he was so ugly. In shame, Shoki took his own life on the steps of the imperial palace, right in front of the emperor. Overcome with remorse, the emperor ordered that Shoki be buried with the highest honors, wrapped in a green robe usually reserved for members of the imperial clan. In gratitude, Shoki's spirit vowed to protect any ruler against the evil of demons._

**(A\N: I hope you all liked the chapter. :) I don't know when the next one will be out, but I hope you enjoy it. Thanks to all of you who reviewed—or are just reading it. I'm just happy that you guys like the story. Well, till next time, see ya!**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**

_Preview (could be in the next chapter or a few after that, depending...):_

_Sakura awoke to the sound of scuffling near her feet. She swallowed, her mouth dry as her fingers slowly crept beneath her pillow, brushing along the edges of her tanto. She'd recognized the strange aura surrounding whatever was trying to creep up on her in the darkness._

_Oni._

_Her eyes narrowed as she gripped her blade tightly. She would not be defensless this time! She wouldn't need Kakashi to save her. And so she stilled her breathing, waiting as she listened to the sounds of tentative footsteps nearing. _

_Closer...closer..._

_closer..._

_NOW! Sakura lunged with a small battlecry, swiping her tanto in front of her. She heard a startled growl and gritted her teeth as her attack missed. Whatever had tried to attack her had fallen backwards. She launched herself off of her sleeping mat towards her fallen enemy, intending to kill it before it could escape._

_She landed against something hard and warm--it didn't smell like decaying corpses like the other oni, surprisingly enough--and whatever it was grabbd her wrist, stopping her from stabbing it with her tanto. It tried to force its weight on her, causing her to let out another small cry as they rolled to the left and she was on her back. _

_She growled out, swinging her other arm at her adversary, hearing her elbow slam into something with a sickening crack. But at the same time pain erupted in her elbow and she hissed between clenched teeth, using her enemy's moment of pained surprise to switch their positions._

_She straddled his hips, breathing heavily as she tried to wrestle her blade out of his hand to kill him. That was when she heard hurried footsteps and the door opened, bathing the entire roomin bright light with Kakashi standing in the doorway, holding a dagger._

_There was a long moment of silence as Sakura stared down at her 'enemy'. _

_Instead of an oni there was a young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes, staring up at her with as much surprise as she felt._


	4. Chapter 3: Kitsune

**(A\N: Sorry for the long wait. Recently I've been staying with my younger cousin to try and get her mind off of her father's sickness (he was recently diagnosed with cancer) and so I haven't had that much time to write. I'm also trying to get my summer schoolwork finished so I can spend the rest of my summer writing like I want to. Anyway, enjoy!)**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Kitsune**

* * *

"I feel like a vagabond." Sakura muttered, picking twigs and leaves from her hair and brushing dust from her gi and hakama. She bent down to put on her sandals—she'd taken them off to sleep.

"You look like one." Kakashi answered back cheerfully.

Sakura shot him a glare that was tired and only half-heartedly angry. It was too early in the morning for her to be _truly_ angry with him—or rather, to _show_ that anger. She had already expressed—to several people—that she was not a morning person. So she didn't deign his insult grievous enough for a comment. Instead, she focused on tying up her sandals and shifting her cloak around her shoulders. It was hot, the air dry and humid. Just putting the cloak on made her break into a sweat.

A quick remedy for this situation was needed. She threw the cloak off and stuffed it in her pack and slung said pack over her shoulder before turning to Kakashi. "Are we heading out or not?" She was quickly growing tired of 'roughing it in the wild' and the sooner they got on the road, the sooner they would be able to get far enough from Haruno lands to sleep in an inn.

His only response was to hold a rice ball under her nose. "Breakfast?"

Sakura took the food with a mumbled thank you, biting into it and chewing savagely.

"Taking your frustration of your current lifestyle out on a helpless rice ball is a cruel sport, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously as she took a large bite out of the rice ball, chewing slowly.

After a moment of awkward silence Kakashi coughed, before shouldering his own pack. "I suppose we can eat on the road. Come on."

Sakura followed him, still blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her sword bumped softly against her hip, a constant reminder of her job and mission. It seemed as if she would never be allowed to forget that, even at this very moment, she was being hunted by demons.

It was a sobering thought, and she suddenly didn't feel tired and cranky anymore. Just…frustrated with the impending sense of doom that hovered over her like a cloud. She stroked the hilt of her sword and it soothed her. It reminded her of her father: strong, confident, loving. It would be her strength; this sword and the smell of jasmines that seemed to linger in the air wherever she went. She had her mother and her father with her in spirit, at the very least.

It eased the burden that she felt weighed heavily upon her shoulders. Sakura was not the type to ask for help—she was stubborn and proud, almost to a fault—and so she often looked to her inner strength for help and guidance. Being an only child without a mother had made her first few years lonely and full of tears. Her father had been gone to Konoha often, to speak with the Hokage and the daimyo that Konoha and all its samurai served under. She had taken to talking with herself, making imaginary friends to play with. It was easier than dealing with the young kids who had teased her about her forehead and not having a mother.

When her father had died and her aunt and uncle had moved into the main Haruno home with Shouhei and Kouhei, she had been suspicious and distant. She didn't like these people who thought they could move into her home and pretend that they were her mother and father and brothers. They had no right! It had been her childish grief talking then, because she'd met her aunt and uncle and cousins many a time before her father's death, even if she had kept away from them because of her shyness. She had even told them so, that she hated them and that they'd never be her family. She'd yelled at Shouhei and Kouhei because they played too rough and often teased her—not like the bullies in the village, but she still didn't like it.

And then…she had met Ino.

It had been a simple party that the Yamanaka Clan had hosted for a viewing of the sakura blossoms. That was when Ino had told her of the flowers and what she believed Sakura was.

_I don't think you're a flower at all, Sakura-chan! You're just a bud…but when you bloom, you'll be the most beautiful flower of all!_

She had slowly learned to become more open. She and her two cousins became inseparable—Ino had often joked that Sakura was a boy herself, hidden in a girl's body. That had led to an awkward discussion and Sakura tackling Ino to the ground until she took it back. But Sakura had to agree that she felt more at east talking with boys than going to the girly parties that the women often held that she was forced to attend. She liked Ino and Hinata but…there were only so many fan-waving, tea-drinking gossip get-togethers she could stand.

Ino had made her into the strong person she was now…and she would use that strength. She had promised long ago that she would be strong. Strong enough to fight off bullies and keep up with her cousins in their training and…and strong enough not to cry. Because she hated crying.

She wouldn't allow herself to be weak.

_This is something I must do. I won't be a coward and I won't back out now. What would Ino say?_ Sakura smiled softly, imagining her overzealous blond friend pumping her fist into the air and screaming for Sakura to "kick that Akumu-bastard's ass!"

Slowly, ever so slowly, the fear was being pushed aside and Sakura was beginning to accept the task at hand.

Kakashi noticed her small smile and gave one in return, though she didn't see it. She was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice him. He instead looked over her attire—and immediately frowned.

"If we enter a town and you look like that while carrying a sword, you'll get arrested for impersonating a samurai."

Sakura blinked, coming out of her stupor at his words. "What?"

"You look like a rogue warrior. Maybe a criminal who stole a sword." Kakashi mused, though he admitted that the thought of Sakura as a hardened criminal was much too amusing.

Sakura continued to stare at him as they walked, unsure of what he was getting at.

"Unless you wear a crest or Clan symbol you won't be noticed or recognized as a true samurai. I'm sure you know that."

Sakura nodded slowly, frowning. "Yes well…I guess I thought that I would be wearing the Haruno Clan crest but…" and she sighed.

"You can't wear your Clan crest or symbol while we are traveling." Kakashi finally voiced as they continued walking.

Sakura said nothing, looking dejected.

"But If you do not wear _some_ kind of crest or Clan symbol then it will be known immediately that I am not your sensei and you are not my student from a noble clan learning the trade of swordsmanship."

Sakura snorted and placed a hand on the pommel of her sword. "Then what do you suggest, Kakashi-_sensei_?"

"You will wear my crest. That is the only logical answer for this." Kakashi pulled out a small band. "I don't have any clothing with it stitched on, and they would be too fine for traveling anyway." He handed the small piece of cloth to her, and she noticed that it did indeed hold a Clan symbol on it.

"…I didn't know you came from a noble family."

"It isn't very noble anymore. You need not worry yourself overly much with it." Kakashi's voice remained the same as always, but Sakura believed she heard a small undertone that told her not to press further. But she was a determined and persistent person if nothing else.

"Is that why you became a monk then? Because your clan is…no longer noble?" Her tone suggested she wanted to know what 'no longer noble' meant exactly, but Kakashi did not seem to wish to oblige her.

She looked over the symbol, tracing it with one finger as she did so. Hatake…it sounded so familiar, and she felt as if she'd seen the symbol before but the memory itself eluded her.

"It is also common, however, for you to wear a band that shows your own Clan." Kakashi gave another sigh, as if he found all of this tiring. Sakura noted his change of subject: _smooth, sensei. But I'll found out your secret soon enough._ The fact that he knew so much about _her_ and that she knew close to nothing of him irked her.

He just pulled out a red cloth and handed it to her. "Here. It may not have the symbol of your clan but it gets the point across. Everyone will know it stands for a Clan crest. And they will also realize that because of the color's brightness, you decided that it was gaudy enough and as a traveling samurai you need nothing else to prove you're from a noble clan."

Sakura tied both pieces of cloth to her arm—one on the left and one on the right, as was protocol. One for her sensei's family that she was being trained under and the other for her own. The bright crimson of the Haruno clan was indeed a bit gaudy, and she felt as if someone would spot her a mile away with its color against the mild tones of the forest. But then again, her hair already gave her away in this place. There was no way she would be able to hide.

_At least I wasn't born into a ninja clan, _she thought wryly, _I'd be horrible at that, with my bright hair color._ But she merely let her eyes rest on the bright red cloth once more.

"The reason for the Haruno Clan color…" Sakura smiled softly, an almost bitter sound. "It makes sense now too…" She looked down at the red of her makeshift armband. "…Shoki…" She gave a small laugh and a little tilt of her lips. "It all makes so much sense. (1)"

Kakashi shrugged, but nodded slowly. "The signs were all there."

"I was just blind to it all I guess."

"No one told you."

"I wish they had." Sakura's hands tightened around the hilt of her sword. "It would have made everything so much easier. I would have been taught about it from the start and my aunt and uncle wouldn't be in danger—or _dead_ for all I know—and I…"

"They didn't want to burden you."

"Because I'm a woman, right?" Sakura snapped back. "That's how it's always been. I'm a woman so I can't be the heir. I'm a woman so I'm not strong enough to wield a sword. I'm a woman so there's no way I could handle fighting demons."

Kakashi gave a small laugh. "Then I guess you're just a walking, living contradiction to everything then, right?"

"…?"

"You're the heir of the Haruno Clan, you are a sword master, and you are going to learn to fight demons very soon." Kakashi smiled, the action only noticeable with the way his visible eye closed.

"People hate me for it." Sakura shrugged.

"Well it doesn't really matter if they hate you. If you don't do your job they'll all be dead."

The cheerful tone he used made Sakura sigh in exasperation. It was as if he took everything in with that laid-back, casual attitude of his.

She merely sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Well then, I feel it's time we begin your lessons, since we'll be on the road for a while. Don't expect to sleep in a bed anytime soon. We won't be going near a town or village for quite some time."

Sakura nodded, although she could already feel her muscles screaming in protest at the thought of sleeping on the ground for days on end. But…she'd have to get used to it, with the life she was leading now.

"What are you going to teach me then?" Sakura finally asked, after several moments of silence only disrupted by the soft snapping of twigs as they made their way across the forest floor.

"We'll do the sword fighting later, probably when we set up camp." Kakashi 'hmed' as he looked up at the sky, sunlight filtering in through the trees. "But if you're going to fight demons than you should know something of their abilities…but before that I suppose I should teach you how to sense them. Being from the Haruno Clan the ability is already inside of you, you just don't know how to use and interpret it."

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever looked at a person and felt there was something..._wrong_ with them?"

Sakura's brow furrowed. "Of course. My uncle says that I am very good at judging people. I can spot a liar before he opens his mouth."

Kakashi laughed softly. "I doubt it was a liar that you spotted. It was most likely a demon."

It was Sakura's turn to laugh, albeit a bit rudely. "Is that so? So every time I saw someone that I felt was a little _off_ I was looking at a demon? I find that hard to believe."

"True." Kakashi nodded. "Not all of them were demons. As I said, you haven't realized how to interpret those feelings yet. As a Haruno Clan member you are already sensitive to people's feelings and auras. The Haruno Clan was known to sense a demon's presence and the type of demon. They were the best at finding a demon's strengths and weaknesses just by looking at them."

"Some special power of my Clan?" Sakura asked wryly.

"It's not a power." Kakashi's tone was one of a mother reprimanding a child. "It's a special.._skill_. Each of the Three great clans has one."

"Well then what _skills_ do the other clans have?" Sakura finally asked.

"It was said that the Senju Clan held inhuman strength, like that of a bear." Kakashi began—deciding that a history lesson was due, even if it was a bit off topic—"They were often said to be as steadfast and unmovable as a tree. That is why their clan's symbol is such."

"A tree?" Sakura questioned, curiosity piqued. "And inhuman strength? It seems as if they weren't quite human either. But then…why don't we search for this Tsunade woman? If she's the last heir—even if she is old—she would have those abilities, right?"

"Probably." Kakashi agreed. "But trying to find her will be difficult."

"And why is that?"

"Because it is said that she has a special amulet she gained from fighting and defeating an oni that allows her to change her appearance at will."

"What I wouldn't give for that amulet." Sakura muttered, twisting a lock of her pink hair around a finger. Kakashi heard her comment and gave a dry chuckle.

"So what you're saying is that unless she wants to be found we won't find her, correct?"

Kakashi nodded.

"And what about the Uchiha Clan? What was their special ability?"

Kakashi remained silent for a moment, before he spoke. "It was said that the Uchiha Clan was the strongest of the three, and that their ability made them the most powerful clan in all of Konoha—possibly all of the other lands as well."

Sakura frowned a bit. "Truly?"

Another nod from the silver-haired monk. "Yes. The Uchiha Clan is said to be half-demon, since their eyes are known to bleed to the color of crimson when they feel any strong emotion. The eyes themselves are called the Sharingan. With these 'demon eyes' they unlock their true ability."

Sakura continued to walk beside him, remaining silent, even if she was bursting with curiosity. She pushed a tree branch aside, careful not to snap it—if anyone was following them it would make them much easier to track—and waited for him to speak.

"It is said that the Uchiha Clan 'demon eyes' allow them to see the future—or rather predict it."

"Predict the future?" Sakura scoffed. "You are surely joking."

Kakashi shrugged. "That is the rumor." And Sakura saw, out of the corner of her eye, that his fingers subconsciously twitched and touched his eye patch—he'd played it off, pretending to brush some hair from his face.

"If they could predict the future then why didn't they predict their own death? You said that they were all dead." Sakura muttered, looking over at him in question. "How did they die, anyway?"

"One of their own murdered them all."

Sakura's eyes widened. "...why would someone do that?"

Kakashi gave another shrug, a smooth roll of his shoulders. "No one knows. It's believed he did it because of the teachings and training they gave him. They trained him from the beginning to be a hogosha."

"Hogosha?—wait, the oni, the one who attacked me that night, he called me something similar. He called me kanshisha…but…" And Sakura's brow furrowed. "What is that exactly? A guardian, I mean?"

"The guardians are the heirs of the three clans…the ones that are meant to be ready to fight if Akumu were to be released."

"So…I am a hogosha…" Sakura murmured, deep in thought, one finger pressed against her bottom lip as she pursed them. "And the heir of the Uchiha Clan, he was their hogosha then? But it just doesn't make sense that he would kill them all for that."

"They say his training was brutal—he was the most powerful hogosha of the Uchiha Clan." Kakashi continued. "I saw him fight a few times, and even sparred with him once. He is powerful and deadly and very efficient. Some believe that he went mad because of all the 'conditioning' that the Uchiha Clan made him go through so that he would be ready to fight off demons."

"…is that why my family never trained me or told me of my role as a hogosha?" Sakura asked softly. "…were they afraid that I would go mad too?"

Kakashi remained silent for a long time, before he spoke again. "Madness is said to run in the Uchiha Clan anyway because of their demon eyes. Demon blood gives way to madness, or so they say."

"Oh." Was all Sakura said.

"He killed all his clan except for one." Kakashi continued with the story, because he knew that Sakura would not be satisfied until he had told it in its entirety. "He spared his younger brother."

"Why would he do that?"

"That's something else I do not know and cannot understand. His brother does not know either, and I think the answer continues to haunt him to this day."

"Perhaps he loved him." Sakura finally spoke, after another moment of silence. "If they were close, no doubt he wouldn't be able to kill him, even if he hated his clan. He couldn't have been insane then, if he had the sense to recognize his love for his brother in the end and keep from killing him."

"Perhaps."

"You knew his younger brother, didn't you?"

"He was my pupil for a very long while." Kakashi nodded, "He bears the same crest you do." He motioned to the one on her right arm. "But he went against my teachings in his search for his brother. He wants revenge against him."

"I can't blame him." Sakura cut in, looking sadly through the trees. She remembered what it felt like to lose her parents—well her father at least, she had never known her mother—but she had grown up with a loving family nonetheless. The youngest Uchiha son had grown up with nothing but a sensei and hatred for the murderer of his clan.

"I suppose. But revenge isn't going to bring his family back." Kakashi continued, and Sakura blinked at his slightly angered tone. "He is against betrayal yet he betrayed my teachings when he left my tutelage for his 'mission'. Not only that, but he wounded several men at the dojo who tried to stop him—men who had grown up with him and learned alongside him."

Sakura suddenly realized what a sore subject this was to Kakashi, and she wisely kept silent. It was strange, how she could hear the soft hint of anger and pain in his usual care-free voice and automatically knew what it meant. But then she realized that was part of her 'skill', and she wondered if he knew she could read him so well.

"I didn't know it was so different for men training to be swordsmen." Sakura finally spoke, changing the subject a bit, but not such a wild turn-around that he would be suspicious. "I mean, when I learned to use a sword my uncle taught me, and he taught my two cousins as well. They never went somewhere else to train."

"The Haruno Clan is different than most. Usually the men in a Clan are taken under the wing of another to be trained. That is the way it has always worked and been done. They take the crest and symbol of their teacher and also their own."

Sakura nodded, she'd heard that much from her cousins when they had gone to the imperial city. They'd come home the first time glum and angry. Apparently they'd been teased endlessly when asked for the name and crest of their 'school' by those at court and other functions. When the others found out they were Harunos, they'd then treated them with indifference.

Sakura's uncle had later lectured the two boys on their attitudes. Apparently Harunos were well respected and the fact that they were taught only from the head of the Clan actually made them seem…unreal to the rest of the Clans. It was not indifference they had been treated with, but more of a cold, frightened awe. It was said that because the Haruno Clan did not allow their sons to be taught by others they must have some mystical, powerful secrets that they wished to keep hidden.

Sakura blinked, realizing that Kakashi was talking again.

"The Haruno Clan believe that their ties to their family are stronger than those to another Clan. It is the way of all three of the chosen Clans. The Senju was more open to training apprentices and letting their own branch out than the others. The Haruno Clan was merely cautious because they knew that their duties to the world was greater than their loyalties to their kage or daimyo or emperor. The Uchiha Clan, however, was suspicious of everyone. They disliked outsiders above all."

Sakura heard the bitter undertone to his voice and stopped herself from sighing. She had thought to get them off of the topic of the Uchiha Clan, seeing as how that seemed to anger her sensei.

"Wait…sensei…" Sakura looked over to Kakashi, gaze curious. "Wasn't the first hokage…wasn't he a member of the Senju Clan?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. He took the position to help stabilize relations among Konoha and the three guardian clans."

"I didn't know there was so much distrust and political tension back then."

"Yes well, the members of the other five clans, the ones whose weapons had shattered when Akumu was sealed, were resentful. They had been forgotten—a mere honorary memorial service given to their fallen warriors while the three clans that survived were given places of honor and seen as heroes."

"So I have enemies that I didn't even know of." Sakura muttered. "That's great. What clans were they?"

"The Nara, the Yamanaka, the Hyuuga, the Aburame…and the Hatake."

Sakura stopped walking. "Your Clan? And the…the others…" She looked down at her feet. "I have friends from those clans. Are you saying that they hate me?"

"I doubt that the Hyuuga Clan would allow their heir to court you if they hated you." Kakashi said dryly.

Sakura blushed lightly. "Neji-san is not _courting_ me. I am merely friends with his younger cousin Hinata and we sometimes talk with one another."

"Of course, of course." Kakashi's voice was slightly teasing.

Sakura sighed, but she pushed her annoyance at Kakashi's teasing aside. "Sensei…will the other clans wish me ill?"

"No." Kakashi shook his head, "Ever since the Senju Clan had one of its members become the Hokage, everything has become normal. Besides, no one remembers the old ways anymore. I doubt any of the other five clans even remembers what their ancestors died doing."

"I see." Sakura nodded, "Except you."

"Except me."

"Do you hate me for what happened to your clan?"

Kakashi let out a low, dry laugh. "If I hated you, you'd be dead by now. I hardly care for things like that, Sakura."

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, "That's…slightly reassuring."

She was met with more laughter.

* * *

"Well, this looks like a good a place as any to stop for the night." Kakashi sighed as he looked over at the shallow cave hidden by some foliage. Night was drawing near, and they needed to set up camp before the darkness set in.

Sakura gave a small groan as she slumped to the ground in front of the cave. She still couldn't understand how Kakashi could walk so long without looking even _slightly_ winded. She was sweating, breathing heavily, and her feet ached. The cuts had opened up along the way, staining her tabi socks in places. She slowly undid her sandals and took off the socks, hissing as the cuts began to bleed anew.

She rummaged through her pack for the bandages and ointment that Kakashi had given her the day before.

"Well, the cave is safe." Kakashi murmured as he walked back towards her. "We can sleep in there tonight. It's a shallow one, but it will fit two people and keep off the rain."

Sakura nodded. "Do you think it's going to rain tonight sensei?"

"There's no harm in being prepared." Was all Kakashi said as he placed his traveling pack down beside her. "I'm going to get us some firewood to start a fire. Watch our stuff."

Sakura waved him off as she stretched out her body, overworked muscles aching as she did so. She pulled out her water pack and took a small sip before pouring half of it over her feet, washing away the blood.

She put the stopper back in place on her water pack and placed it into her traveling pack once again. Then she began rubbing the ointment into the cuts, feeling the soothing, numbing sensation take over immediately. She sighed with relief, before she began to bandage them back up.

She heard a rustling in the trees around her and tensed, one hand going for her sword. But before her fingers could curl around the hilt she recognized his presence, and relaxed as Kakashi walked over to her, arms full of tree branches.

"If I had been a demon you could have been killed." Kakashi reprimanded softly. "You should be more alert."

Sakura shook her head. "I sensed you."

Kakashi blinked, looking as surprised as she'd ever seen him. "Really? You learn faster than I expected."

"I'm a fast learner." Sakura muttered, before she slipped her tabi socks back on. "I'm not hungry. I think I'm just going to sleep." She stood, pulling her pack towards the cave mouth.

A hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she turned to see Kakashi smiling, his lower face still covered by his scarf. "Sorry Sakura, but we have some training to do."

"But we trained while we walked." Sakura tried not to sound whiny, but it still sounded like she was complaining, even to her.

"That was different training. I still haven't seen how you fight. I want to find out your skill level so far."

Sakura groaned, but she placed her pack in the little crevice that Kakashi called a cave and walked back towards the spot where Kakashi was building the fire. She didn't know how he had gotten it to smoke, but he was blowing on the small flames as they caught on the kindling, glowing a bright orange-yellow before the fire began to strengthen and grow.

"We can't fight in the dark." Kakashi said, as way of explanation, as he walked a few feet away from the warm fire and pulled out his staff that had been half-hidden by his robes. Sakura walked over to him as well, leaving a good ten feet of distance between them as she unsheathed her own sword.

"Do you know the common sword exercises?" Kakashi asked lazily, holding his weapon loosely, but still with a firm grip.

Sakura snorted. "Don't insult me. Of course I know the exercises."

"Very well." Kakashi grinned. "We'll do a few to warm up." He stood straight, readying his weapon before turning his back on Sakura. "Ushiro (2)!"

Sakura reacted on instinct, stepping forward with her left foot, lifting her sword. She stepped then with her right foot, before swiping her sword at Kakashi's middle. Kakashi turned to his right, as the exercise dictated, and struck at Sakura's waist.

And so it went for several minutes, as Kakashi called out different exercises and he and Sakura went through them. By the end she was sweating slightly, and her feet ached. The exercises weren't difficult, but she had been walking all day and she also hadn't eaten yet. And she was _tired_.

Finally Kakashi struck the ground with his monk staff, leaning against it casually. "Alright. Enough exercises. Let's have a quick spar."

Sakura nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow, along with several strands of her rose-colored hair that were sticking to her skin. She eyed him for a moment, trying to assess whether he would attack first or not.

Finally, seeing an opening in his stance, she lunged.

* * *

She was good, he would admit that. She was definitely a Haruno, as well. It was obvious, in the way every move she made was precise with no wasted effort. The Haruno were known for their great control and mastery of sword fighting. They did not move excessively. Their style was smooth and lithe, allowing them to twist and dodge when most other swordsmen would jump back to avoid being cut.

It was the reason Kakashi had even suggested training in the first place. Yuu had said that Sakura had perfect control and so she could last longer in a sword battle than most fighters. The Haruno style was a good one for a female, who was not as strong physically as a male and so would need the upper hand of tiring her opponent out.

And she was _fast_. The Haruno technique was all about quick strikes, but they were smooth as well, blending together so that even if one missed there was always a chance to hit again. She kept Kakashi on his feet, twirling his staff to block her attacks. He was used to fighting a male, and so he had underestimated her strength. He had thought she would not be as strong as a man, and that was true, but he hadn't expected her to be as physically strong as she _was_.

And she knew to used her opponents strength and weight against them. She'd already flipped Kakashi once when they had been locked together, blade against staff. He'd pressed down, hoping to make her knees buckle and have her fall or trip. She'd fallen alright, but only because she had meant to.

He had tumbled after her, having lost his balance, and then she'd slammed her foot into his stomach, kicking him a good few feet away before getting into a battle-ready crouch.

Yes, she would do. She would do well.

Finally he decided to end the fight, slipping behind her and under her guard, swiping with his staff and knocking her to the ground. She let out a small grunt as she fell. But she didn't let go of her sword, as Kakashi had expected her to. It remained firmly in her grasp, and she rolled away from him, ready to begin the battle again.

He knew she was done, however. Sweat soaked her gi and hakama, and she was panting heavily. She needed to rest before they began traveling again, and she needed to eat something.

"That's it for tonight." He placed his staff back in its holder on his back and headed towards the mouth of the cave. Sakura sheathed her sword wearily and stumbled after him. She slumped to the ground as he passed her another rice ball from the batch the innkeeper had given them. She bit into it eagerly.

"Your form is good, but we need to tighten it up." Kakashi commented as he watched her eat. He knew she was waiting for him to pull down his mask and eat his own meal. He merely smiled at her, continuing with his evaluation. "You're fast, but we need to do some arm strengthening exercises. You can't always tumble and kick your opponent in the stomach when you get in a dead lock with them."

Sakura nodded, looking down in anger. "I hate being a woman. No matter how hard a train I'll never be as physically strong as a man."

Kakashi laughed. "True, but you've also got the element of surprise on your side. No one will expect you to be as skilled and strong as you _are_."

"I guess." Sakura muttered, finishing off her rice ball and putting a hand to her mouth to hide her yawn. "I'm gonna sleep now. Wake me up in a few hours to keep watch." And she pulled her cloak out of her pack and wrapped it around her body, lying down in the small cave.

Kakashi watched her sleeping form from across the fire, his gaze thoughtful.

Things would be hard from here on out. Kakashi was a realistic person. He didn't have any great hopes and dreams. He lived from one day to the next because as a warrior, that was the only time frame that was important. Thinking too far ahead would only lead to confusion and indecision and second-guessing of actions. He couldn't afford that, and no one else could afford for him to make mistakes either.

But even Kakashi, for all his doubts, couldn't help but think that somehow this young girl was going to make a difference.

Maybe they would be able to pull this off after all.

* * *

A sword cut cleanly through the dark mass of shadows, and hot liquid splattered across the forest floor. There was a soft, pained gurgle before the shadow slumped to the ground. A pool of blood seeped out from beneath its fallen form.

Sasuke sneered a bit as he took a step back, not wanting the crimson liquid to stain his sandals or the hem of his hakama. He merely bent down and wiped the blood from his sword onto the dark, course fur of the oni. Once he was finished he slipped the blade back into its sheath and began walking out of the small clearing.

He'd been ambushed by five oni and had dealt with them quickly—they were weak, it wasn't that difficult. He hadn't even had to use his Sharingan.

_Pitiful. What a waste of time,_ he thought with a derisive snort as he continued on his way. He knew what the presence of the oni meant, of course.

Akumu had been awakened.

No doubt his old sensei would be tracking him down to ask for his help in defeating the demon. That only made Sasuke give another snide smirk. He had better things to do, more important dealings. He knew he was the only one who could defeat Akumu—there weren't any other powerful heirs from the other two clans that he had heard about—but at the moment there were other things on his mind.

Revenge.

His eyes narrowed slightly, briefly flaring crimson.

Before he could return to Konoha or to his old sensei to ask for a pardon, he had to kill his brother. He couldn't allow anything to get in the way of his revenge. He had cut his ties with those he had grown close to: his old training partners and his sensei. In the beginning it had been painful and lonely, but he had used hatred as his motivation and over the years, he had realized that was all he needed.

The bonds had begun to cease to matter. They were still there, deep down—he'd need them again when he finally killed his brother—and he couldn't ignore them. But they had lost importance, been pushed aside in the search for power.

He had found that power, and he couldn't help but give a cold smirk at the thought. Now he was strong enough to kill his brother. He would finally be able to honor his family by bringing their killer to justice.

A part of him felt slightly guilty, because he knew that if he continued on his path at the moment, Akumu may gain more power. But there was still the old woman of the Senju Clan wasn't there? She could hold him off long enough for Sasuke to fulfill his mission.

And his sensei was powerful and he surely had allies as well. Even if one of the hogosha was not present, they would still be able to hold him back. Perhaps they could even trap him and defeat him without Sasuke's aid.

Because it didn't matter. No one, not even Akumu, would interfere with his revenge. He had been training too long to allow any distractions or alterations of his course and cause.

And so he merely continued on his way through the forest, eyes glowing crimson.

* * *

Sakura sighed softly as they headed through the gates of the village. There was a smile on her face, however, and her green eyes sparkled. As dirty as she was, as tired as she was, as much as her feet _ached_, she felt only happiness at this moment.

In fact, she was close to tears as she looked up at the large building they were standing in front of. "…a real bed." She sighed wistfully. "I'm going to sleep in a real bed…"

Kakashi shook his head with a sigh. "Well, you go and get our room. I'm going to get some supplies. Here's the money your uncle gave me to give to you for your own use."

Sakura eyed the heavy pouch suspiciously. "So Kakashi-sensei, why did you give it to me now, hm? I bet it's lighter than it was before…" She picked up the pouch and continued to look it over.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Ha ha. I'm going to go and get our supplies now."

"I'm going to take a bath and then sleep." Sakura gave another sigh as she stretched. "It's been almost two weeks since I've slept on anything but the ground. My blisters have blisters and I'm turning into a brunette from sleeping in the dirt." But she merely grinned, "See ya later, sensei."

Kakashi merely sighed as he waved her off, beginning to walk into town. "I'll come back later! I may be out a little later than usual. Don't stay up for me."

"Where will you be?" Sakura called after him.

"Just…talking to some old acquaintances." Kakashi yelled back to her, before he disappeared into the crowd.

Sakura watched him go until she could no longer see him, and her smile stretched even wider as she began to whistle softly, walking into the inn. It had been a week since their first training session, and after that he had worked her to the bone. She was sore in places she didn't know existed and she felt as if she were continuously on the verge of falling unconscious from lack of sleep. Their nights were spent in sword training with a few hours of sleep before they headed off once again. Kakashi had said that they weren't being followed at the moment, at least not by anything he could sense. And with her heightened 'Haruno skills' she also had noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

For the first time in weeks she felt safe and strangely content. Kakashi was a tough teacher but he was also a good one—if not a bit lazy. His idea of 'endurance and arm strengthening exercises' consisted of Sakura training and Kakashi sitting down in the shade looking at promiscuous shunga (3) prints.

But she really didn't want to think about Kakashi and his porn at the moment. She headed into the inn, shouldering her traveling pack as she did so. She was already thinking of buying a new traveling cloak—Kakashi said they were heading to Rain and then Cloud and that meant she would need something heavier and warmer—even as she approached the counter.

She was only brought out of her musings by a soft giggling. She blinked, before seeing the young girl standing behind the counter. She was half-hiding behind a balding man who Sakura guessed was the owner of the establishment.

Sakura smiled at the young girl and the young girl blushed a deep red, ducking behind the man.

The man looked Sakura over warily, before speaking. "Is there something I can offer you…" He eye the sword at her hip and the bands at her arms. "…honorable samurai?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes please. My sensei and I are passing through and would like a room for the night, if you have any available."

The man seemed surprised at her genteel manner and nodded back. "Of course, of course. Chiaki!" He bellowed, and the blushing young girl jumped out from behind him.

"H-hai father?" The young girl asked, avoiding Sakura's gaze.

"Please show this young man to a room."

"O-of course!" Chiaki nodded fervently, swallowing hard.

"Thank you, Chiaki-san." Sakura tilted her head to the side and gave her a cute smile.

Chiaki let out a small squeal, before she spoke again. "F-follow me um…?" She looked up at Sakura expectantly, before looking down again.

"Ha—" Sakura blinked, stopping herself as she cursed herself silently. She had almost given out her real name! She quickly thought of a fake one. "Hachisuka Shou."

"Hachisuka-dono." Chiaki nodded, still blushing bright red.

Sakura smiled down at her again, still wondering why Chiaki was acting so strange around her.

"H-here you go!"

The room itself was nothing special, a simple one large enough for two people. Sakura placed her traveling pack in a corner and turned to Chiaki with another small smile—one she didn't realize looked extremely charming—and spoke, "Do you think you could show me to the bathhouse, Chiaki-san?"

"Oh! The b-b-bathhouse." Apparently the thought of 'Hachisuka-dono' and 'bathouse' at the same time was too much for the young girl because she only nodded mutely, looking like she was going to turn into a puddle of goop in front of Sakura's eyes. An oblivious Sakura, of course, who was still trying to decide why Chiaki was blushing so much around her.

Sakura followed, arms full of her extra set of clothing and bandages to wrap her chest when she was finished. All she could think of now was a nice, hot bath and a long rest afterwards.

* * *

Sakura walked out of the inn feeling cleaner and more refreshed than she had in days. It had felt like ages since she had last gotten relatively clean—washing her face and arms in a stream didn't count—and now she was dressed in a clean set of clothing. She had asked Chiaki to have her old clothes washed and the younger girl had agreed. Sakura still couldn't understand why Chiaki had been blushing and stuttering so much.

But she shrugged it off as she walked through the streets. She had gotten so used to a gi and hakama that she wondered if she could ever go back to wearing a kimono. And she didn't think she could survive without the comforting weight of Shoki at her hip, or the tantō tucked into her sleeve. A soft breeze blew past her, causing her bangs to blow across her face. She closed her eyes and sighed, letting the cool wind caress her face.

She had planned on sleeping in, but she remembered that she needed to go and buy her new cloak first. So she had decided she'd get herself a cloak and something to eat before she went back to the inn to sleep. That was why she was currently standing in the middle of the bustling streets of the small town, dodging angry vendors and screaming merchants.

She couldn't help but grin to herself as she weaved in and out of the crowd towards where she could smell food and see steam rising into the air. She had forgotten how much fun markets were. As a noble lady she had never been allowed to go to such a…dirty place. But luckily for her, Ino was a headstrong girl who had wanted to see what the fuss was about and the two of them had, one day, dressed up like commoner women and snuck out into the streets of Konoha when both of their families had been visiting the capital for Clan meetings.

After the first time the two of them had made it a tradition to always sneak out and head to the market when they were both in the capital—or if she was visiting Ino and vice versa.

Sakura heard a soft giggle and blinked, turning to look over at a food stand. There was a group of girls gathered around it and they were all looking her way before hurriedly turning to talk to one another, laughing and blushing.

_They're probably laughing at the fact that a male samurai has pink hair, _Sakura thought despondently, but decided that the food stall beside them was as good a one as any to have her dinner at. When she began walking towards them they squealed and huddled closer together, turning bright red.

Sakura could only smile softly at them. _What is with the girls in this town?_ She nodded at the vendor at the food stall. "Could I get two of those fried squid please?"

"Of course, sir." The man grinned, while Sakura dug into her purse for the correct amount of money. She took out a small handful and realized it was a few coins over, but gave it to him anyway. His food smelled delicious, and so she hoped it tasted just as good. If it did than the extra few coins were well spent.

The man bowed his head at her in thanks, staring at the money in his hand as Sakura took the squid and began walking down the street, searching the stalls for cloaks. She was stopped from continuing her quest, however, when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

She looked over to see a woman a few years older than herself. She had brown hair tied up in a fancy bun and a soft mint green kimono. She was smiling coyly at Sakura, fluttering her eyelashes, a soft pink tint gracing her cheeks. "Hello."

"Hello." Sakura greeted back, giving a smile in return. The woman's smiled widened and Sakura heard a loud peal of laughter and looked over the girl's shoulder to see her group of friends watching them. Some of them looked at the other woman with envy, others giving wistful sighs. Sakura's brow furrowed a bit before she noticed that the woman was speaking again.

"You must be new here. I'm sure I would remember such a…handsome face as yours."

"Yes, my sensei and I are just passing through—_handsome_?" Sakura sputtered out, almost choking on her squid, emerald eyes widening in shock. She managed to school her features so that she was only smiling softly at the young woman instead of staring open-mouthed at her like she felt like doing. Her aunt and tutors had taught her too well how to hide her true emotions behind a mask. Women were better at it than men, even if men thought that women were too emotional. They didn't realize that women had to train themselves to never show anything but happiness when in their husband's presence and only cool regard when being the genial hostess. A woman must never show any anger or sadness or pain on her face for fear of dishonoring her husband and her family. And so Sakura continued to smile, even as she shot the other woman a curious look. She couldn't help the blush that was painting her own cheeks.

_I guess I make a really cute man._ She almost groaned. _If Ino found out about this I'll never hear the end of it._

The other woman seemed to find Sakura's blush extremely endearing because she gave a small laugh. "Yes, _handsome_. And you're so pretty, almost like a girl. And so elegant and noble…" the woman crooned, clutching Sakura's arm and hugging it against her chest. "And I bet you're a wonderful samurai too!"

"Er." Sakura rubbed the back of her neck. "Um…thanks…" _Oh god, stop that! I have to get out of here!_ She suddenly got an idea and smiled softly, "Since you know your way around town so well, do you think you could show me a place to buy cloaks? I'm afraid I need a new one. My sensei and I will be leaving tomorrow so I don't have much time."

The woman pouted a bit, puckering her lips. "Leaving? But you just got here…" But she merely turned her cute pout into another smile. "But of course! Come with me and I'll show you a good cloth merchant. He has the best clothes in town!"

"Arigato." Sakura nodded as the woman steered her down the street, dodging the hate filled glares from her friends.

Sakura hoped that Kakashi didn't see her like this. No doubt he would find the fact that his little 'student' was so popular with the women extremely humorous. Sakura could only sigh and hope she could come up with some way to get out of this unscathed.

* * *

"Oi." Sakura muttered as she slid open the door to her room at the inn, stumbling inside. She undid her hair from its ponytail and ran her fingers through it, sighing as she placed her new cloak and her money bag near her pack. She looked around the room and noticed that Kakashi wasn't back yet.

She wasn't sure what he was doing—buying supplies didn't take this long—but decided that it was _not_ as important as sleep was at the moment. The sun was setting quickly outside and she grumbled silently at the hours of sleep she had lost due to the young women of the village.

Was this really how it was for every handsome man who walked into a village? She had practically had to beat them off with a stick. Or at least she was tempted to. There was just something about another girl flirting with her that made it extremely easy to revert to violence. It would have been easier than the little charming smiles and polite goodbyes she'd had to give the entire way back to the inn. She really was too nice, she decided, as she tugged off her gi.

That was when the door opened. "Hachisuka-dono I brought you—OH!" Chiaki stood in the doorway. The blankets she had been holding earlier fell to the ground in a heap at her feet. She could only stare at the pink-haired samurai in front of her. His chest was wrapped—but he was _shirtless_. She could see the muscles in his arms—they were lean and smooth, and he was very slender. He reminded her of a cat, because he was lithe and thin and probably very flexible. He _was_ a samurai after all. His skin was smooth, pale, and flawless. She wondered if it was as soft as it looked and immediately blushed a deeper red at the thought.

He was still holding his gi in his hands and was staring at her in surprise, brilliant emerald eyes focused solely on her. Oh god she was going to faint…he was so _beautiful_. And he was so gentle and polite too, not like the other samurai who occasionally visited her father's inn.

"Oh I'm s-s-so sorry!" Chiaki finally stuttered out, swallowing. "I sh-should have knocked a-and—"

"It's alright." He was smiling at her, that gentle, charming smile that made her want to melt. "I see you brought myself and my sensei some extra blankets for the night. Thank you, that was very thoughtful of you."

"Y-you're w-welcome!" She squeaked out, pressing cool hands to her burning cheeks before she bent down to pick up the blankets.

"Here, let me help you."

Oh god he was right in front of her, picking the blankets up out of her arms and still smiling, tilting his head to the side a bit, rosette hair drifting across his elegant face. Yes, surely it was a sin for a man to be so beautiful! She merely stared at him, until she realized that he could _tell_ she was staring at him. She merely blushed even more before she bowed low. "Well u-um there a-are the blankets and um s-sleep well and uh b-bye!" And then she slid the door shut and ran down the hallway.

Sakura blinked, staring at the closed door that the blushing young girl had left through. _Being a man is so weird, _was all she thought as she shook her head, heading towards her tatami mat to sleep. _Now I know how Shouhei, Kouhei, and Neji-san feel. I never believed them when they told me how annoying love struck girls were. But now…I'll never laugh at them again!  
_

She sat down on the mat and wrapped her blanket around herself. She didn't lie down however, because Kakashi had told her she needed to meditate every night before she slept. Usually he was there to do so with her, but it seemed as if tonight she'd have to do it alone. Whatever he was doing must have been very important.

So she got in the familiar meditation pose and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly.

She began to open up her senses like Kakashi had taught her, trying to sense anything out of the ordinary. There were no demons in range of her ability, and she couldn't help but let herself relax after that realization. But she still felt uneasy, and she frowned slightly.

_Kakashi had better return soon. If Oni _did_ come I don't think I could handle them on my own. I still don't know if I could kill one. I've never—I've never killed anyone or anything before. _She swallowed, feeling her chest tighten at the thought. To learn how to wield a sword was one thing, but killing someone with one was something entirely different.

But it was either her or the demons. And if she was truly the only one of the three hogosha that was willing to fight Akumu then she couldn't afford to be killed off by his weak assassins. Now wasn't the time to be afraid.

_I have to be strong._

She gave another soft sigh before opening her eyes long enough to survey the room once more, looking to the closed and locked window to the door. Then she placed Shoki by her side and her tantō beneath her pillow.

And with a soft prayer she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sakura awoke to the sound of scuffling near her feet. Her eyes shot open, a dull and hazy emerald from sleep that sharpened quickly as she blinked. Someone was in the room. She could hear them moving quietly—they were probably barefoot, because there was no sound of cloth rubbing against the wooden floor.

She swallowed, her mouth dry as her fingers slowly crept beneath her pillow, brushing along the edges of her tantō. A smell entered her nose—crisp and clean, like the woods. It smelled of pine and fresh grass and a sharp tang of sweat. It was not the smell of a corpse, which was strange because she'd recognized the strange aura surrounding whatever was trying to creep up on her in the darkness.

Oni.

Her eyes narrowed as she gripped her blade tightly. She would not be defenseless this time! She wouldn't need Kakashi to save her. And so she stilled her breathing, waiting as she listened to the sounds of tentative footsteps nearing.

Closer...

closer...

closer...

NOW! Sakura lunged with a small battle cry, swiping her tantō in front of her. She heard a startled growl and gritted her teeth as her attack missed. Whatever had tried to attack her had fallen backwards. She launched herself off of her sleeping mat towards her fallen enemy, intending to kill it before it could escape.

In the darkness she was fighting blind, but her body seemed to move by instinct.

She landed against something hard and warm and whatever it was grabbed her wrist, stopping her from stabbing it with her tantō. It tried to force its weight on her, causing her to let out another small cry as they rolled to the left and she was on her back.

She growled out, swinging her other arm at her adversary, hearing her elbow slam into something with a sickening crack. But at the same time pain erupted in her elbow and she hissed between clenched teeth, using her enemy's moment of pained surprise to switch their positions.

She straddled his hips, breathing heavily as she tried to wrestle her blade out of his hand to kill him. That was when she heard hurried footsteps and the door opened, bathing the entire room in bright light with Kakashi standing in the doorway, holding a dagger.

_When did Kakashi get here and why was he sleeping in another room? Or was he sleeping at all?_ Sakura thought confusedly, not really understanding anything at the moment. Her mind was still fogged with fatigue and the adrenaline rush of her fight was slowly fading.

There was a long moment of silence as Sakura finally stared down at her 'enemy'—and blinked.

Instead of an oni there was a young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes, staring up at her with as much surprise as she felt.

* * *

(1) Shoki: He is usually colored red, because it is believed that this color has the power to ward off misfortune. (I thought that fit in with the color that the Haruno Clan wears pretty well, seeing as how in Naruto Sakura is always seen wearing read or dark pink. :D)

(2) Ushiro: a sword exercise (Aikibatto) I think I spelled that right…

(3) shunga: While rare, there are extant erotic painted handscrolls which predate the Ukiyo-e movement. Translated literally, the Japanese word _shunga_ means _picture of spring_; "spring" is a common euphemism for sex.

The ukiyo-e movement as a whole sought to express an idealisation of contemporary urban life. Following the aesthetics of everyday life, Edo period shunga sought to express the sexual mores of the chonin in the widest variety of forms possible, and therefore depicted heterosexual and homosexual, old and young alike, as well as a wide range of fetishes. In the Edo period it was enjoyed by rich and poor, men and women, and despite being out of favor with the shogunate, carried very little stigma. Almost all ukiyo-e artists made shunga at some point in their careers, and it didn't affect their prestige as artists. (I figured that Kakashi has to look at SOMETHING if he isn't reading Icha Icha XD)

**(A\N: Yes, if you have already read the preview below…Sai is going to appear soon as well. :D And if I throw in some SaiSaku…well it's just because I love that couple too. God I have such a strange obsession with Sakura pairings…I usually only pair up the other girls with one guy that I think would work with them like NaruHina and TemaShika. But…Sakura just works so well with almost everyone XD. Anyway, I hope you guys liked the little bit of Sasuke in this one, even if it was small. I'm sure you were all just wondering when he was going to appear. And Yamato will also be appearing. :D Because I love him too and I don't think he gets as much attention as he deserves. He's a very interesting character…and besides…another member of the Senju bloodline (whether by natural means or not) could mean another ally for Sakura! And she's going to need them to fight Akumu…Oh, and I know there was a lot focusing on Sakura this chapter, but we'll get more of everyone else in the next one. And we'll find out where Kakashi was and what he was doing in the village. :D**

**Anyway, I've rambled on enough. I have to go finish writing the next chapter of Heart of an Artist, Hands of a Killer before the readers hunt me down and tie me to a chair in front of my laptop until I update. .**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**

* * *

_Preview for next chapter:_

"_So we're going to be heading to the Shrine in Rain then, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as they continued walking._

"_Rain? I hate the rain." Naruto whined, frowning a bit. _

"_Well no one really cares what you like and what you don't like." Kakashi drawled. "You are, after all, still considered our enemy."_

"_That's not fair." Naruto muttered. "I wouldn't hurt Sakura-chan!"_

"_You _are_ cursed, Naruto." Sakura put in, frowning. "And who knows what Akumu could do with that kind of power over you?"_

"_But you_ broke _the curse, Sakura-chan! That's why I have to stay with you! And I can't kill you because now I owe you." Naruto was looking at his two traveling companions impatiently, as if he couldn't understand why they didn't believe him or trust him._

"_Sorry Naruto." Sakura smiled at him, making him blush softly. "But we can't afford to let our guard down, not even once."_

"_And Kitsune aren't the most trustworthy of demons." Kakashi muttered under his breath from where he walked ahead of them. He still couldn't understand why Sakura had begged him to let Naruto come with them. But he supposed that if Naruto was as bound to Sakura as he said he was then one more person protecting the girl couldn't hurt. They needed all the help they could get._

"_Kakashi-sensei is right. Kitsune are known to lead people into danger under the guise of a human."_

"_Sakura-chan!" Naruto pleaded desperately, pouting. This only caused Sakura to laugh, even as Kakashi sighed._

_Sakura's laughter suddenly stopped as she crouched into a battle stance, gripping the hilt of her sword. She felt Shoki hum beneath her fingertips. "Something is watching us." If there was ever a time that Sakura praised the Haruno Clan's senses it was now._

_Naruto stiffened beside her before growling softly, bearing his fangs as he sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the location of their enemy while Kakashi took a step back so that he and Naruto stood on either side of Sakura, surrounding and protecting her while still giving her enough room to attack as well._

_Naruto let out a loud growl as he swiped his claws in front of him, and the tree a few feet away was suddenly full of deep gauges made by his claws. It creaked and groaned, before a figure dropped down from its high branches and landed on the ground in front of them._

"_I didn't think one ugly hag and an old monk were going to be so hard to track."_


	5. Chapter 4: Inugami

_She straddled his hips, breathing heavily as she tried to wrestle her blade out of his hand to kill him. That was when she heard hurried footsteps and the door opened, bathing the entire room in bright light with Kakashi standing in the doorway, holding a dagger._

When did Kakashi get here and why was he sleeping in another room? Or was he sleeping at all? _Sakura thought confusedly, not really understanding anything at the moment. Her mind was still fogged with fatigue and the adrenaline rush of her fight was slowly fading._

_There was a long moment of silence as Sakura finally stared down at her 'enemy'—and blinked._

_Instead of an oni there was a young man with golden hair and bright blue eyes, staring up at her with as much surprise as she felt._

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Inugami**

* * *

_A world of dew, _  
_and within every dewdrop _  
_a world of struggle_

_--Issa_

* * *

Kakashi walked into the inn with a soft sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. Yes, tomorrow he planned on taking a nice long bath before they headed out. But sleep was his number one priority as he made his way over to the desk where a man stood.

It was late, and the man looked like he was falling asleep at the desk.

Kakashi merely coughed softly to get his attention. "Um, hello. I was wondering if you could show me to my room. My student came earlier to pay for one. He has pink hair, about this tall—"

"You mean H-Hachisuka-dono!" A voice squeaked from the doorway.

Kakashi and the man both blinked and turned to the blushing girl. She swallowed under their curious gazes before speaking again. "H-he's in the first room on the r-right upstairs."

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you."

"I c-could sh-show you the way…" The thought of seeing her dear Hachisuka while he was sleeping was almost too much for the young girl.

Kakashi heard a soft crashing sound upstairs—the noise was too muffled for the innkeeper and his daughter to hear—and stiffened, hand going inside of his cloak. "No need. I'll find the way. Thank you."

"But—"

But he was gone, walking quickly up the stairs—before he broke into a run the moment he was out of sight.

_Damn. Is what Daiki told me true then? I didn't think they'd make their move so quickly._ Kakashi slipped the dagger hidden in his robes from its sheath and threw open the door to the room just as a louder crash echoed throughout the inn.

He blinked.

Sakura was currently straddling a blonde-haired man. His hands held her wrists, trying to keep the tantō she held away from his throat. Sakura looked over at Kakashi for a second, before looking down at her attacker.

He was staring at Sakura in shock.

Kakashi saw the whisker-like marks on the young man's cheeks and his eyes narrowed. "Sakura, get off of him now. I'll handle this."

"You're not a boy!" The blonde blurted out, as Sakura continued to stare down at him. She blinked a few more times, trying to drag herself out of her stupor.

"You're not an oni."

"He's a fox demon." Kakashi drawled, just as hurried footsteps echoed throughout the inn. Kakashi hurriedly shut the door enough to hide Sakura and the kitsune demon from view as the young girl from before and several others appeared in the hallway.

"We heard a crash, is everything alright?" One of them asked, an older woman, maybe in her forties.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck and laughed sheepishly. "Yes, I'm afraid my student just fell um, on his way to the bathroom. Ya know, because it's so dark." Only his acute hearing picked up Sakura's harsh string of curses that promised painful retribution for his embarrassing story. He merely coughed as the women all got looks of horror on their faces.

There was silence before, as one seeming entity, they all spoke.

"Oh no, poor Hachisuka-dono!"

"Is he alright?"

"Does he need us to bandage his wound?"

"Oh is he bleeding?"

"Hachisuka-dono!"

"That poor boy! We should have lit a candle for him so he could see!"

"Yes, oh it was too dark. How could we have forgotten that?"

Kakashi could only stare at them in complete and utter shock, before he began to laugh softly. "Don't worry, I'm sure my student is perfectly fine. We need to rest so um…"

* * *

Sakura could only groan softly in frustration as she heard the chorus of worries from the women in the inn. Then the body beneath her shifted and she remembered just what had happened before Kakashi had appeared.

The young man beneath her was blushing softly, still staring up at her in shock.

"So you're a kitsune demon…not an oni…"

He nodded slowly.

Her eyes merely narrowed. "Well, you're still a demon. And you were sent to kill me."

Another nod, but an uneasy one this time.

"Then I have to kill you." She swallowed, even as her grip on her small blade loosened a bit. She sighed, because she couldn't look into his pure blue eyes and find any killing intent.

"You don't seem like an assassin."

"I'm not!" He bit out. "I'm a tracker."

"Well you're good at that, at least." Kakashi answered coldly from the doorway. He had somehow gotten the women away and the door was still opened a little, letting in some light so they could all see. He pulled out his own dagger. "As I said before, get off of him Sakura. I'll deal with him now."

"But—"

"Back off!" The fox-demon yelled out, before grabbing Sakura in his arms and holding her as his prisoner.

"Bastard!" Sakura yelled out, elbowing him in the stomach. He let out a gasp for breath as he doubled over and onto the ground as Sakura rolled away from him and Kakashi stepped forward.

"Wait, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura managed as she got to her feet. "Don't kill him."

Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"He's not evil."

"He just tried to _kill_ you."

"Kakashi-sensei…"

"Sakura, you don't seem to understand the seriousness of your position. This is not the time to become a squeamish, naïve young girl."

"I am not being naïve!" Sakura yelled back, hands clenched tightly into fists. "But I can read auras a _hell_ of a lot better than _you_ can and I'm telling you that he _doesn't mean me any harm at this moment_."

There was a long moment of silence, before Kakashi merely sheathed his weapon and hauled the golden-haired fox demon up by the front of his shirt, before throwing him against the wall.

"Talk, kitsune."

Sakura was a little frightened by Kakashi's tone. He sounded completely…deadly and ruthless. It made a shiver run down her spine and she swallowed to wet her dry throat. She was used to a joking, perverted monk—or even the serious fighter he seemed to morph into on occasion. But this…this killer was not the same Kakashi she had been traveling with these past few days. And it scared her.

"I was…Akumu-teme-sama sent me to kill the first of the Hogosha that I found. You're it." He whispered. "But I thought you were a boy! I mean, you're the _heir_ right? So you're supposed to be um…a guy…" And at this he blushed a soft pink.

"Well I'm not." Sakura finally muttered. Then she frowned, "You don't seem to hold Akumu in very high of esteem."

"Of course not! That bastard trapped me!" The golden-haired boy yelled out. "He forced me to become his servant in order to—" And he clamped his mouth shut, glaring down at the ground, looking angry at himself for saying so much.

"Be quiet. The other residents of the inn will hear you." Kakashi ordered coldly.

Sakura hurriedly lit a candle so she could shut the door. She did so, and a small golden glow settled around the room.

"Who are you?" Kakashi asked the boy sternly.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto!" The golden-haired Kitsune yelled out, like a challenge. "And one day I'm going to become the greatest demon in Makai (1) and the Hokage of Konohagakure!"

"Is that so?" Kakashi grunted. "Well I'm afraid your dream ends here, Uzumaki-san. Anyone who attacks one of the hogosha must be killed."

Sakura merely continued to stare at Naruto in confusion. Why would a demon want to become Hokage of a human village?

"I couldn't do it though!" Naruto called out desperately, still glaring at Kakashi. "I tried and I couldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I got here and…and I saw her lying on the bed and I thought she was still a guy then, ya know? And I got ready to kill her but—but she smelled funny"—at this he dodged a murderous glare from the pink-haired woman—"and I didn't know what it was so I went closer to get a better smell. But I put my hand by her pillow and—and it shocked me! And something _happened_. I felt different, and look, the seal is faded." And he pulled up the bottom of his shirt after jerking the ends of it out of the hem of his pants.

Sakura ignored the chiseled features of his tan stomach and merely continued to stare at the swirled design placed upon it.

"The only thing under my pillow is Shoki—could, could my sword have done something to that seal?" Sakura asked confusedly. "Sensei, what do you think?"

"That seal…"

Both Naruto and Sakura turned to Kakashi at the sound of his awed whisper. He was staring at Naruto's stomach, shock apparent in his visible eye.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"You're not a full demon, are you?"

Naruto swallowed, looking uncomfortable with the question, before he nodded slowly. "I'm only half. My dad was human."

"Yondaime-sensei…"

Naruto's head shot up. "How did you know that my dad was the Yondaime Hokage!?"

"The Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato…was my sensei."

* * *

Naruto shifted the large pack on his shoulder, glaring angrily at the silver-haired man walking in front of him. Damn that man…he didn't care if his father _was_ his old sensei! The guy was a freeloader! Using Naruto as a pack-mule…Naruto's frown deepened.

The only thing making this bearable was the pink-haired woman walking beside him, humming softly. She was still dressed as a man, and he knew that most people would see her as one. Only someone with his sense of smell would be able to tell otherwise. Her hands were tucked behind her head, and her eyes were half-lidded as she surveyed the area around them.

_Who would have thought one of the hogosha would be a girl…_Naruto shook his head with a wry smile. Then he blushed softly. Not only a girl…but a pretty one too!

"Naruto?"

"Hai Sakura-chan?" He asked cheerfully, turning to smile at her.

"Do you really think that Shoki broke the seal that Akumu put on you?"

Naruto nodded vigorously. "Yeah. That's a powerful sword you have there, Sakura-chan."

Sakura looked down at the ground, deep in thought now. She had always thought that Shoki was a regular sword. But from what Naruto had told them earlier, and from the conversation that they'd had before when they'd agreed to take Naruto with them, she'd learned that nothing should surprise her anymore.

_"My…dad was your sensei?" Naruto croaked out, eyes wide._

_Kakashi nodded. "I hadn't known he had a child."_

_Naruto looked down. "Not many people did. I mean I wasn't really…wanted." _

_"Even by your parents?" Sakura asked softly. She couldn't understand how any mother or father would not love their child._

_Naruto shook his head vigorously. "No my…my mom died in childbirth. And I never knew my dad. He gave his life protecting Konoha from—from me." He ended in a pained whisper._

_Sakura's eyebrows furrowed a bit. From Naruto? How could he have threatened an entire village?  
_

_"He is a kitsune demon, Sakura." Kakashi answered back evenly, explaining. "When he was born, his human side and his demon side warred with one another. Because he was too young to control it, his demon side took over and…tried to destroy Konoha. Many warriors died trying to protect the village. As the fourth Hokage, his father used a powerful seal to mold the two sides of Naruto into one form, giving the human side control again. But it cost him his life. I never knew it was his own son that caused his death, and I never knew you survived." At this, Kakashi turned to look at Naruto again, gaze contemplative. "Everyone assumed you had died."_

_Naruto shrugged. "I was taken in by some old widow. She was nice enough, I guess. But the people of Konoha hated me because I reminded them of their Hokage. And I was an orphan, and a peasant. So they hated me even more."_

_"Naruto…" Sakura whispered softly, truly touched by the pain in his voice. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but stopped herself. He was still dangerous, and they still weren't sure of his intentions._

_"I see." Kakashi murmured. "And now you want to become Hokage and protect the people who hated you?"_

_"I want to prove that I'm not some worthless peasant! That I can become great even WITHOUT some noble bloodline! And I'll be the greatest Hokage ever! I'll be the most powerful kage in the WORLD! Nothing will stop me." Naruto shouted, blue eyes burning intensely._

_"They don't let peasants become Hokage." Kakashi answered back. "Or half demons."_

_"It doesn't matter!" Naruto growled. "I'll still become Hokage."_

_"Kakashi-sensei, if Naruto is the son of the Yondaime Hokage then…why would he be a peasant?" Sakura finally asked._

_Kakashi rolled his shoulders, as if to loosen the tight muscles in his back and arms. "He's an orphan, and no one knows who his parents were, so he's been branded as a peasant. Unless he can prove his bloodline then that's all he'll ever be."_

_"Well we both know he's the Yondaime's son. So that won't matter, we can prove he's noble." Sakura answered back stubbornly, only then realizing that she was already coming up with a plan to make Naruto into a great Kage. Didn't she have enough to deal with at the moment than the dreams of a half-demon?_

_"I don't want them to know about my dad." Naruto finally answered back, shocking both Kakashi and Sakura. "I want to become Hokage because I'm _good_ enough, not because I'm an ok warrior with a good bloodline. I'll be Hokage and I'll prove that I can do it without being from some noble clan. It's stupid that they're the only people that are allowed to become great."_

_Sakura blinked, looking down in shame. She had lived her entire life being told that only noble blood would make you great. That peasants and the like were below her. But…that wasn't really true was it? No one ever gave them the chance to prove themselves._

_Sakura merely swallowed, green eyes glinting with determination as she made a pose similar to Naruto's, one that showed she wasn't going to back down. "Then I promise you this, Uzumaki Naruto. I, Haruno Sakura, heir of the Haruno Clan and one of the three hogosha, will stand by you and help you achieve your dream!"  
_

_There was a long moment of silence as Naruto watched the young woman standing in front of him. The room was still dark but the candlelight bathed her skin in a golden glow. Her eyes were bright, like blazing emerald fires, and her hair glistened in the faded light._

_She looked…perfect…_

_His mouth was dry and he was speechless. He had never gotten help from anyone—people hated him, demon and human alike because of his mixed blood—and the only people that had been nice to him wound up dead or betrayed him in the end._

Teme…_but he merely shook off the thought of his old best friend and looked back up at Sakura with a large grin, even as tears filled his eyes._

_"Then I promise you, Sakura-chan, that I'll protect you with my life and help you defeat Akumu and fulfill _your_ dreams, whatever they are!" _And when I become Hokage I'll make you my wife, _he vowed silently, feeling a small blush rise to his cheeks as he watched the beautiful woman in front of him. _

_"Shake on it?" Sakura grinned, and he grinned back. They clasped hands and shook once, before letting go and stepping back._

_"As touching as that was, he's still a demon that was sent to kill you. We can't trust him and we should probably kill him to be sure he doesn't betray us."_

_If Sakura were anyone else she probably would have fallen to the ground, twitching. Kakashi-sensei had just ruined a completely touching moment with his deadpan seriousness. What was with him, anyway? _

_"HEY!" Narutp put up his hands in surrender. "I told you I wasn't going to kill her—besides, I just promised to protect her with my life, didn't I?"_

_"You're a fox demon. They lie all the time." Kakashi answered back._

_"Well I _don't_ lie."_

_"Everyone lies."_

_"You're an old perverted bastard!"_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"You heard me! I can't believe that Sakura-chan has such a disgusting sensei! You're just like Ero-Sennin!"_

_  
Sakura sighed softly, before sitting down and beginning to stuff her clothes into her pack. "So, Naruto, were you the only one sent after me or were their others?"_

_Naruto blinked, turning from yelling at Kakashi—he'd thought up a _great_ insult involving the silver-haired man's eye patch—and frowned. "Well…I don't think so. It was my job to find one of you and kill you. If I failed I guess Akumu-teme-sama would send someone else to do my job."_

_Kakashi sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to win this fight. If Sakura wanted this Naruto kid to travel with them than he'd let him. Besides…whether or not Kakashi wanted to admit it, he felt almost obligated to make sure the kid succeeded in his dreams. He was a lot like Minato, but he was very different at the same time. But the determination was the same. He had Minato's spirit. And the half-demon just seemed to…make you want to trust him and believe his words._

_So Kakashi merely folded his arms in front of him and leaned against the door. "If you were sent that means Akumu already knows where we are."_

"_Not true!" Naruto grinned. "He doesn't know where you are. Only I do. You didn't think it was just my looks that were this good, did you? I've got my own talents, and tracking is one of them."_

_Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the younger man dubiously. "Even so, I guess I won't be taking my bath tomorrow. We're leaving."_

_Sakura groaned. "So much for relishing my one night sleeping in a real bed."_

"_Indeed." Kakashi drawled. "Start packing."_

"_I hate you." Sakura pouted, glaring at Naruto._

"_Sakura-chaaaaaan…" Naruto whined softly._

"_Who gave you permission to call me that anyway, huh?"_

"_So…cruel…"_

* * *

Sasuke stepped into the loud tavern, gaze as stoic as ever. Once he passed through the threshold he was engulfed in the smell of sake, sex, and hot food. He rested his hand on the doorway for a moment, his other hand on the hilt of his sword, before he walked over to a table and sat down.

Some of the tavern's guests looked up when he entered. Most of them went back to whatever they had been doing before he walked in, but a few shot him suspicious glances. There were also a few admiring ones, all of these coming from the white-faced prostitutes that smiled at him coyly from behind their fans.

Sasuke ignored them, as a nervous serving girl came up to the table. She stood there for a moment in silence, hands trembling as she clutched a small tray in front of her.

Sasuke finally looked up, his gaze annoyed. "Yes?"

She flinched at the sound of his voice. She couldn't have been more than ten, with long, dark brown hair and large silver-grey eyes. She looked down, flushing beneath his intense gaze. But, he realized, the blush had nothing to do with his looks. She felt intimidated and afraid. For some reason he could tell she didn't belong here.

"W-what would you like, sir?" Her voice was soft, and he could tell she wasn't used to being submissive or afraid of anything. She seemed like the type that was given everything she had ever wanted. _A spoiled brat, _he thought sourly. _Her father probably sold her into servitude to pay off his debts._

"Tea."

"Type?"

"Sencha (2)."

"Anything to eat?" She seemed a bit more confidant now.

"No." He answered back curtly, and she nodded, before hurrying off to fill his order. He watched her go, seeing her dodge lecherous glares with fright shining in her eyes as she disappeared into the kitchens.

He settled himself back in his seat, just as a server walked up to the person sitting at the table beside him in the secluded corner. The man harshly growled out something to the serving girl, who scurried backwards and into the kitchen, almost running.

Sasuke's lips curled in disgust as his eyes narrowed at the sight in front of him. He pulled the edge of his kasa down lower, shielding his face from the other occupant, and pulling up the edges of his cloak.

_Demon._

He didn't think that the man noticed him at all. Instead, he seemed to be mumbling to himself. Sasuke recognized his demon type immediately: inugami (3). They were the most numerous of Akumu's tracking demons. But what was one of them doing way out here? Had it come to kill Sasuke? They were Akumu's elite trackers, and he rarely sent them out without a good reason.

Sasuke almost smirked. The demon would be dead before it could raise its ugly head, if that was the case. The demon looked like it had possessed the body of a human—a bodyguard or weak samurai, by the looks of the swords at his side. His hair was long and black and tied back in a ponytail, with a beaded lock of hair hanging across the left side of his face.

The inugami hadn't attacked him yet, so he assumed that it wasn't after him. They were usually simple-minded in their pursuits of their targets, so if he had been after the Uchiha, he would have attacked him already. That meant that someone else was its target. It was said that once an inugami had the scent of its victim it would hunt that person down to the ends of the earth.

The young girl came back with his tea and placed it in front of him. A bit splashed out the side of the cup and dribbled down to the table top. She had been shaking so badly she'd spilled most of the contents of the cup on her way to his table.

He could see her standing in front of him, wringing her hands in front of her and expecting a reprimand from him for the little bit of tea left in his cup. Sasuke merely picked the cup up and took a sip—there was barely enough in the cup for more than a few mouthfuls—and spoke.

"Tell your master I want a room for the night."

When he looked to the corner he noticed that the inugami was gone.

* * *

"I don't like this. The air feels tense." Sakura muttered. After a long day of traveling she, Kakashi, and Naruto had finally set up camp for the night. A roaring fire stood in the middle of the small clearing, after Naruto and Kakashi had scouted everything out and found no danger anywhere nearby.

Kakashi had offered to put up some demon seals around the edges of the campsite but they'd all decided it wasn't necessary. The seals would only allow them to detect a demon if it crossed them, and if it got close enough for that they would have already sensed it anyway.

"Yeah." Naruto bit into his cooked fish and chewed thoughtfully. "It does feel weird…like…an itch I can't scratch. Something is going to happen."

"Then let's be on our guard." Kakashi grunted from where he sat. He was leaning against a tree, his staff propped against his shoulder. He looked to be sleeping, but Sakura knew better. "I'll take first watch."

"I'll stay up all night to guard Sakura-chan." Naruto boasted, grinning.

Sakura merely laughed. "If you do that then you'll fall asleep while we're walking tomorrow."

"Nah." Naruto smiled sheepishly. "Demons have a lot more stamina than human's do. I'll be fine—"

Sakura tensed, just as a large howl ripped through the clearing. Naruto pushed her to the ground, shielding her body with his. She could see, from a small space provided by the bend in Naruto's elbow, the tree where Kakashi had been sitting. It was completely shattered, and little splintered pieces of wood were falling to the ground, littering the area.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed, frightened. Naruto pulled her up quickly, and she looked over to see Kakashi appear from behind a second tree, his gaze narrowed in the direction of the howl.

"Here comes another one!" Sakura yelled out, sensing the attack, before the howl split through the air.

She leapt backwards, flipping in the air and landing nimbly on her feet, unsheathing Shoki at the same time. Naruto was crouched down beside her, baring his teeth and snarling. His nails had become claws, and she could see two gnashing fangs were his canines had once been.

Kakashi was on Sakura's other side, his staff resting on his shoulder.

The dark shadows in front of them seemed to shift and mutate, becoming the shape of a man. He had long dark hair, and a string of beads was braided into it on the left side. But Sakura could tell that it was not the demon's real body.

"He's an inugami." Kakashi finally spoke, and Sakura nodded. Shoki hummed beneath her fingertips, as if issuing a challenge to her opponent.

The man lunged at them and the three split. Naruto went to the left and Kakashi went to the right, while Sakura jumped upwards, slashing down with her sword as the dog demon lunged forward, appearing beneath her.

He blocked Shoki's blade with his long claws, but Sakura saw steam issue from where her sword made contact with his skin. The demon hissed, before jumping back. Sakura kicked away from him, landing beside Kakashi, who threw a dagger.

The demon grabbed it in its teeth, biting down and shattering the metal.

"I thought no one else knew where we were!" Sakura yelled accusingly at Naruto.

"I didn't think he would send another tracker so quickly!" Naruto defended. "And I didn't think he would send an inugami! He must be desperate to kill you off, Sakura-chan."

"That's comforting." Sakura muttered under her breath before getting into a battle stance, digging the heel of her sandal into the dirt.

The dog demon let out a howl, the harsh sound erupting from his human throat and making Sakura's ears ring. She gritted her teeth against the pain, narrowing her eyes in concentration. She had to find a weak spot! Her eyes roved over the demon's host body as Naruto leapt forward with a snarl.

The two demons clashed, and Sakura watched as Naruto ducked, barely missing a swipe to his middle section.

She continued to watch the inugami's movements, as Kakashi leapt forwards as well, and he and Naruto synchronized their movements, attacking and backing off in rapid succession, barely giving the demon time to react.

But the inugami was powerful—did Akumu really want her dead so badly?

Sakura smiled triumphantly. There! She leapt forward, her feet barely skimming the grass as she moved. Shoki seemed to glitter in the light from the fire, and Sakura saw the inugami's eyes widen as he caught the reflection of light from her blade. He let out a loud howl, before Sakura made a horizontal slash with her blade. Her eyes widened as blood splattered across her face, and the sound of the blade slicing through flesh filled her ears.

The sound was sickening, like a butcher's knife cutting through meat, and Sakura stumbled backwards as the demon convulsed on the ground beneath her.

She held tightly onto Shoki, even as her fingers trembled. There was so much blood…and it was all over her. It reeked of death and demons and she let out a small cry before slumping to her knees and throwing up.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto was beside her in an instant, but she barely noticed him. Her eyes stung and she heaved again.

She had just killed a man. No, a demon, and it was still dying. She looked up through blurry eyes to see Kakashi walk up to the twitching body and slam the end of his staff into its head. It jerked once, and then went still.

She gave a few more dry heaves, before reaching up to wipe the sour liquid that coated her lips onto her sleeve. She swallowed, and tried to brush the tears from her eyes, ashamed at herself for her weakness.

She looked up at Kakashi, expecting a rebuke.

"He was a demon." Was all Kakashi said.

"Inugami use human bodies." Sakura bit out, and her throat was scratchy and full of tears. "I killed an innocent man tonight."

"He was inhabited by a demon. There was nothing more you could do. You acted on instinct. At least you have that much skill in you. Perhaps you won't fail, yet." It was harsh, and meant to be an insult. Sakura winced at his words.

"Don't talk to her like that!"

She blinked, looking up in surprise at the sound of Naruto's voice.

"Sakura-chan did her best! And she cut it down! She saw his weakness and she was able to defeat him so you should just leave her alone! At least she has a _conscience_!"

There was a long moment of silence, and Kakashi's gaze was hard and implacable. Sakura merely jerked away from the hand that was resting on her shoulder, making Naruto turn to her, worried. She walked over to the edge of the campsite, her back to the fire, facing the shadowed trees.

"Sakura-chan—" Naruto began, but stopped at the sound of her voice.

"Kakashi-sensei is right. I can't afford to be emotional like that. If I'm going to kill Akumu I can't hesitate. Hesitation will get me killed."

Naruto looked back over at Kakashi and saw the man's gaze was hidden this time, before he turned and grabbed his blanket from his sleeping pack, lying down by the fire and ignoring Naruto's glare.

Naruto settled his gaze on Sakura's stiff form one more time before sighing softly and sitting down by the fire as well, wrapping his cloak around his body.

He didn't think any of them would sleep that night.

* * *

The next morning began in uncomfortable silence. Sakura looked like she hadn't slept at all, and her hand hadn't left Shoki's hilt all night. She'd merely gone to the stream nearby and washed her face before packing her things and standing up, waiting for Kakashi to tell them it was time to leave.

Kakashi had been as silent as Sakura, and while Naruto really didn't mind Kakashi's mood all that much, he couldn't stand the fact that Sakura was so sad as well. He tried his best to cheer her up over the first few hours of their trip to no avail.

Nothing he did could get her to smile, and Naruto could only pout.

When they stopped for lunch with only a curt order from Kakashi and a nod from Sakura, Naruto felt like he was going to burst. He wanted his cheerful, semi-violent Sakura-chan back!

They'd eaten in silence, with small grumblings on Naruto's part, a grunt or two from Kakashi, and a few sighs from Sakura.

When they'd finally begun walking again, Naruto could only grip the straps of his pack tightly and try his hardest not to growl out in frustration. Pining Kakashi to a tree and forcing him to apologize to Sakura was really looking good at the moment.

"So we're going to be heading to the Shrine in Rain then, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as they continued walking. Naruto blinked, and even Kakashi seemed relatively surprised as Sakura broke the silence. Her voice was normal, with only a little strain to it, as if she was trying her hardest to be cheerful. She smiled softly at Naruto, and he grinned back, before he realized what she'd said.

"Rain? I hate the rain." Naruto whined, frowning a bit.

"Well no one really cares what you like and what you don't like." Kakashi drawled. "You are, after all, still considered our enemy."

"That's not fair." Naruto muttered. "I wouldn't hurt Sakura-chan!"

"You _are_ cursed, Naruto." Sakura put in, frowning. "And who knows what Akumu could do with that kind of power over you?"

"But you broke the curse, Sakura-chan! That's why I have to stay with you! And I can't kill you because now I owe you." Naruto was looking at his two traveling companions impatiently, as if he couldn't understand why they didn't believe him or trust him. But still, he couldn't help but inwardly grin. It seemed as if the night before hadn't happened at all, and they were back to their old selves.

"Sorry Naruto." Sakura smiled at him, making him blush softly. "But we can't afford to let our guard down, not even once."

"And Kitsune aren't the most trustworthy of demons." Kakashi muttered under his breath from where he walked ahead of them. He still couldn't understand why Sakura had begged him to let Naruto come with them. But he supposed that if Naruto was as bound to Sakura as he said he was then one more person protecting the girl couldn't hurt. They needed all the help they could get. And...he felt a little bad for his words the night before. While necessary, he hadn't needed to be so blunt and harsh.

"Kakashi-sensei is right. Kitsune are known to lead people into danger under the guise of a human."

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto pleaded desperately, pouting. This only caused Sakura to laugh, even as Kakashi sighed.

Sakura's laughter suddenly stopped as she crouched into a battle stance, gripping the hilt of her sword. She felt Shoki hum beneath her fingertips. "Something is watching us." If there was ever a time that Sakura praised the Haruno Clan's senses it was now. _I won't back down this time. I won't hesitate._

Naruto stiffened beside her before growling softly, bearing his fangs as he sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the location of their enemy while Kakashi took a step back so that he and Naruto stood on either side of Sakura, surrounding and protecting her while still giving her enough room to attack as well.

Naruto let out a loud growl as he swiped his claws in front of him, and the tree a few feet away was suddenly full of deep gauges made by his claws. It creaked and groaned, before a figure dropped down from its high branches and landed on the ground in front of them.

"I didn't think one ugly hag and an old monk were going to be so hard to track."

* * *

(1): _yōkai_ (妖界, _yōkai_**?** note the different kanji) and _makai_ (魔界, _makai_**?**) are used synonymously as the supernatural world where yōkai (demons) live.

(2): _Sencha_ : 80 of all green tea consumed by Japanese is _sencha_ tea. It is a high grade of tea that is made by steaming the leaves to stop fermentation and changes in color. The steaming helps to also reduce the bitter flavor of the tea.

(3) In Japanese mythology an _**inugami**_ (犬神, _**inugami**_**?** lit. "dog god") is a type of _shikigami_ (式神, _shikigami_**?**), similar to a familiar spirit, resembling, and usually originating from, a dog, and most commonly carrying out vengeance or acting as guardians on behalf of the inugami-mochi, or "_inugami_ owner". _Inugami_ are extremely powerful and capable of existing independently, as well as turning on their "owners" and even possessing humans.

* * *

**(A\N: Well, I hope you enjoyed it. Yes, Naruto and Sasuke knew each other when they were younger...you'll see how all that fits in later. I'm trying to incoorperate the actual Naruto series into this, which is why I wanted to explain about Naruto's dream to become Hokage and all that. For your information, the heirarchy system of Konoha is a bit different than the manga. There are Kages, which are the heads of the military for each village, and then there are powerful clans (like the Haruno, etc) in each nation. And at the head is the Emperor, who rules from a city in the middle of the lands. The kages and noble clans are known to fight with one another for favor with the emperor. So there's a little history lesson for you. :D**

**I think it's only natural that Sakura would not have a stomach for killing in the beginning. She isn't going to suddenly become some great demon killer right off the bat, after all. And Kakashi is a stern teacher, and he seems like the type that isn't going to coddle you. So that's why he acted like he did. And yes, boys and girls, that's Sai at the end there. :D What part will he actually play in this story? Well, it's a secret. XD**

**Anyway, the next chapter will have some more Sasuke in it, as well as the mysterious young girl he met at the tavern. She's actually not an OC, she's a Naruto character that I don't think gets enough attention. I kind of like her, so I want to use her more in here. She will NOT be paired with anyone, of course, but she will be traveling with Sasuke, at least for a little while. Anyway, I'm off to write more Shades of Grey. :)**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**

* * *

**Chapter 5 preview:**

_Sasuke slammed his tanto into the wall, a few centimeters away from the tavern owner's cheek. Several strands of brownish-grey hair fell to the floor. Behind him he heard a muffled cry, and saw the small serving girl holding her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in fright._

_"Now you will tell me what you know about the hogosha." Sasuke drawled, leaning forward so that he was whispering in the older man's ear._

_"I don't know what you're talking about!"_

_"I saw the sign on the back door. You're an information gatherer for demons. This entire tavern is crawling with them." Sasuke continued coldly. "Now tell me what I need to know or I will extract the information from you myself."_

_The man swallowed. Finally, he spoke, as sweat beaded his forehead. A few droplets dripped down his face, pooling in the small indention above his upper lip. "There's word going around that one of the hogosha has begun amassing an army to fight off Akumu now that he's been freed. He has a fox-demon under his command as well as the last Hatake. He's said to be the most powerful hogosha yet, aside from Uchiha itachi—"_

_Sasuke's eyes burned crimson at the sound of his brother's name and he reached up, snapping the man's neck before he knew what he was doing. He blinked, his eyes regaining their normal opaque onyx color as he let the man drop._

_He heard a whimper and turned again to see that the girl was still standing there. She was quivering from head to two, but when his gaze landed on her she met his eyes defiantly. She swallowed, before speaking._

_"I don't belong here."_

_"That," Sasuke drawled, "is obvious."_

_The young girl blushed, "I ran away from home, because I overheard my father speaking of demons and the hogosha. I want to join the hogosha's army!" She sounded determined. "I know I can help! And after what you just did, you must work with the hogosha too!"_

_"You're foolish." Sasuke snapped. "I could have been a spy for Akumu. If that was true you'd be dead right now."_

_"I_ knew _you weren't evil."_

_Sasuke blinked, because the utter conviction in the girl's voice startled him. He hadn't known that anyone could believe he was anything but evil and tainted. "I am not going to join this_ great hogosha's _army. I have a different mission."_

_"You're one of them, aren't you?"_

_"What?"_

_"Your eyes burned crimson. You're an Uchiha."_

_Sasuke's eyes narrowed in the girl's direction and she flinched, but didn't back down. Finally, Sasuke spoke. "You may follow, but do not expect me to wait for you if you fall behind."_


	6. Chapter 5: Hanamachi

**(A\N: Sorry this chapter took so long. :) But I hope you enjoy it anyway. Also, I wanted to clear up a little more about the hierarchy of the land here, even though little bits of it will be explained along the way through the story.**

**Sakura's father belongs to the group of warrior nobles and daimyos who sided with the kage instead of the emperor, feeling that he deserved their loyalty more due to the bushido code, etc. The kages of the lands are like…Shoguns, and then the emperor, while still holding some of their respect, has no actual power outside of his influence. There are some nobles, who were the aristocracy before the kage's took over, that make up the emperor's court. They hold grudges against the daimyo like Sakura's father because they now hold little to no power. Just keep that in mind. :)**

**Anyway, enjoy the chapter!)**

* * *

_Naruto let out a loud growl as he swiped his claws in front of him, and the tree a few feet away was suddenly full of deep gauges made by his claws. It creaked and groaned, before a figure dropped down from its high branches and landed on the ground in front of them._

"_I didn't think one ugly hag and an old monk were going to be so hard to track."_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Hanamachi**

* * *

Naruto took a step forward, growling. "What did you call Sakura-chan?"

"Who, the hag?" The figure asked, looking in Sakura's direction. Sakura bristled in anger, gritting her teeth.

"What was that?" But she didn't make to punch him like she would have done her cousins if they had teased her with such a nickname. They still didn't know who this guy was. He could have been dangerous, and letting her guard down just because she had been insulted would be foolish.

"You're from Konoha." Kakashi finally entered the conversation. "Explain yourself, now." He nodded to the leaf insignia placed on the person's bag. Sakura blinked, before finally looking at the man fully. He seemed to be around her age, perhaps a year older. He had jet black hair and wore a black outfit, and there was a short blade strapped to his back. Sakura could already tell by the handle that it was not a katana or daito, but perhaps a tanto, wakizashi, or even a kodachi. It was hard to discern anything else by only seeing the hilt.

She straightened from her battle crouch, but kept her hand on Shoki just in case. This man—_boy_—may have been from Konoha, but that did not make him their ally. Besides, he could be an assassin under the guise of someone from Konoha. She would be damned before she let herself get killed off by a two-bit assassin just because she was too trusting.

His face was delicate, almost feminine. But while it should have looked gentle and friendly, it was merely cold. His eyes were emotionless, his face nothing but a stiff mask, or so it seemed. And using her new abilities Sakura couldn't discern what emotion he was feeling.

It was as if he didn't have any at all.

But she could still sense something off about him, and she immediately didn't trust him, no matter the symbol on his bag. He had snuck up on them, and she felt something almost sinister inside of him. It wasn't evil just…dark.

"I was sent here to find the monk Hatake Kakashi and the hogosha that he was traveling with." The black-haired boy spoke.

Sakura couldn't sense a lie in his words, but her eyes still narrowed in suspicion.

"Who sent you?"

"The Hokage."

Sakura stiffened, eyes widening in surprise. "How did the Hoakge know about this? No one in Konoha was supposed to know about the hogosha except for the three clans."

The boy shook his head. "Some others know of it, but they thought it was just a story. Then the Haruno manor was attacked and the Hokage learned the truth."

"Were there any survivors? What happened to the people at the Haruno manor?" Sakura asked hurriedly.

The boy shrugged. "I wasn't told."

Sakura visibly seemed to wilt, before nodding.

"What is your name?" Kakashi questioned, his voice stern, one hand resting on his staff. To anyone not familiar with fighting it would seem as if he had relaxed, but in all actuality he was more ready to strike now than he had been before.

"Sai."

"Clan name?"

"I do not have one." Sai answered back.

Kakashi looked to Sakura and she nodded: he had told the truth. Kakashi turned back to the boy. "So, if you have no clan symbol but carry a weapon like that…you must be one of Lord Hokage's ninja."

The boy nodded. "I am."

"A ninja?" Sakura whispered. She had never seen one before, but she'd heard about them. They were spies for anyone who had enough money to pay for them, but certain leaders, like the kages, had their own networks of loyal ninja who worked for them. This one must have been one of them.

"Where is your proof?" Kakashi growled out softly, and Sakura saw his visible eye narrow in suspicion.

The ninja named Sai merely placed a hand inside of his bag, causing all of them to stiffen. He noticed their movements, but his face remained emotionless as he pulled out a scroll. It bore the Hokage's seal.

He held it out and Kakashi took it, even as Naruto let out a warning growl, still crouched down, looking ready to pounce. The whisker marks on his cheeks seemed even more prominent, and his fangs had yet to shrink to their normal size.

Kakashi broken the seal after examining it and deciding it was genuine. He scanned the scroll's contents before rolling it back up, his face serious and guarded, but not suspicious. He tucked the scroll into his robes and held his hand out.

"Tell us what you know, Sai." Kakashi ordered, as Sai gripped his hand and they shook once, before both let go quickly. "And I would prefer it if you kept your degrading comments to yourself. Sakura is your superior here and you will treat her with respect."

Sai said nothing in response to Kakashi's order, merely folded his arms over his chest and began talking. "Rumors have been going around that a bright-haired warrior has been amassing an army to fight off demons."

Sakura blinked. "Amassing…an army?"

Sai nodded. "Although if they saw you, I doubt they'd believe the stories. You don't look powerful at all."

Sakura ignored the insult and merely gave a derisive snort. Naruto growled threateningly in Sai's direction, before Kakashi picked up where Sakura had left off.

"Who has been spreading these rumors around? It couldn't have been the Haruno Clan."

Sai shook his head slightly. "No, it wasn't the Haruno Clan. After the attack, Danzou-sama suggested that the only reason they were attacked is because of the hogosha."

"Ah." Kakashi's visage darkened. "Danzou." He spat the name like a curse, and he saw Sai stiffen, his own eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly.

"Who is Danzou?" Sakura asked softly. Her uncle had tried to shield her from court politics as much as possible. It was the reason she had rarely been to Konoha—and had only seen the imperial capital twice in her lifetime. Besides, the emperor and his kuge (1) disliked most of the daimyo and samurai families.

"He is the head of the Hokage's ninja. It is his duty to gather information for the Hokage."

"So…Danzou would know about the Hogosha because it is his duty to know Konoha's secrets." Sakura murmured, more to herself than anyone else. This was getting more complicated. Then she stiffened. Had this man told the other great clans about her? They would resent her, wouldn't they? Would Ino hate her now, knowing that her clan was revered and the Yamanaka Clan had been given nothing for the death of their greatest warrior merely because Sakura's ancestor had survived and Ino's had not? She shivered involuntarily.

"And he sent you here to guard Sakura, or so the mission states." Kakashi grunted, "Very well."

Sakura shook herself out of her stupor and held out her hand to Sai for him to shake. "Welcome to our team." It would be best to be friends after all, right?

Sai regarded her coolly, but did not take the offered hand. "Mm." Sakura decided that Sai's emotionless façade must have been a product of his ninja training, and so she really couldn't begrudge him his…anti-social tendencies.

Naruto straightened from his crouch, eyes narrowed as he looked over Sai, as if trying to decide whether or not he was still a threat.

"I don't care who you are, you can't treat Sakura-chan like that." He finally growled out.

Sai merely looked at him levelly. "I don't take orders from half-breeds."

"WHY YOU—" Naruto began, lunging forward. But Sakura grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back. He looked at her in shock. Why had she stopped him?

But she merely shook her head. "No Naruto, you shouldn't fight him. If he works for the Hokage you should show him respect where it's due."

She looked over at Sai and smiled, and he smiled back, a fake twist of his lips.

BAM.

Naruto and Kakashi could only stare in shock as Sai tumbled to the ground, holding his cheek. Sakura unclenched her fist a bit, drawing it back to her side. Her eyes were cold and filled with anger.

"You can call me names all you want, but don't you EVER insult my friends, got it? I said that we should show you respect where it's due, but you haven't earned mine yet." And then she turned and began walking back along their designated path, never once looking back.

Naruto could only grin, before sprinting after her, calling for her to wait up. Kakashi spared Sai one final glance before following them. Sai slowly stood, rubbing his cheek.

He blinked, and the only thought that filled his mind was that she was better at faking a smile than even he was.

* * *

As Sasuke looked around the room with barely veiled disgust, all he could think was that he had certainly got what he had paid for. He supposed that if he had wanted a higher quality room he could have fished out some extra money, but then he would have been under suspicion by the innkeeper, and he needed to maintain a low profile.

He sat down beside the sleeping mat that he knew hadn't been cleaned in months. He merely placed his pack down beside it—he didn't want to dirty it by placing it ON the mat, it was THAT filthy—and pulled out a scroll. He lit a candle that had been left on a small table in the room for him, and he placed it down beside him before settling back down against the wall, pulling his cloak around his body like a blanket.

He looked over the scroll in his hands for a moment, his gaze darkening. It was old, and the scrollwork was intricate. Its edges were yellowed with age, and there was a tear as well. He let it fall open in his lap and stared down at the beautifully written words.

How could such disgusting, filthy things be written with such a beautiful script?

His fingers shook a bit as he ran them along the words, mouthing them but not quite trusting himself to say them aloud.

_Our demon blood calls me, even now. I can hear it singing through my veins, taunting me. It tells me to kill and so I do. How can I disobey my own blood? I hide the bodies so well that no one has found them yet._

_But people are suspicious. They worry for their missing relatives and friends._

_I can only laugh at them, silently. They are all such fools. But they cannot see that I am gaining power from it all. Each person I kill only feeds my demon blood, and in doing so…makes my demon eyes stronger. _

_And last night I found out our darkest secret. A way to make the Sharingan the most powerful skill in all the lands. Even demons shall cower before its might._

_But before I can reach that level of power I must first expand the power I have already gained. To do that I will need to take the first step towards the Great Sharingan. And that step is…what I have named the Mangekyou._

Sasuke hurriedly rolled the scroll back up, angered at himself for reading it and also angered at himself for silently wondering if it was true. He knew it was, of course. How could he NOT believe that the Mangekyou existed when he had seen it with his own eyes?

His brother had killed his entire clan with those eyes…

He stuffed the scroll roughly back into his pack, clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth as he leaned back against the wall.

He wished his brother had never told him about the scroll. He wished his brother had never told him anything. He wished he didn't love his brother so much. There were a lot of things he wished for that he knew would never change. But no matter what, he couldn't keep himself from wishing.

It was immature, and childish, but Sasuke was, in his own way, a spoiled and immature child, so it was no surprise.

But…he opened his eyes slowly, and looked over at his pack, where the scroll lay. Could he really go through with what was needed to obtain the Mangekyou? If he wanted that power, the power to kill his brother and avenge his clan, he would have to do the unthinkable.

He could have to kill his best friend.

The one person who had ever made him feel human again after the death of his parents. The only one who had pushed him to become stronger and better and made him believe that perhaps there was something in life beyond revenge.

He gave a derisive snort, pulling his cloak tighter around his body.

But that person was a fool. An idiot. It wouldn't matter if he lived or died. He would not be missed by anyone save Sasuke himself, and Sasuke wanted to desperately believe that he wouldn't cry over the dobe when the time came.

Because all he did was spout dreams and promises that were unbelievable. He wanted Sasuke to forget his past…but didn't he see that the past was all Sasuke had?

A fool.

To obtain the Mangekyou…he would have to kill the one person in the world that he could honestly say he cared for after the death of his clan.

He would have to kill Uzumaki Naruto.

_There is no use in thinking about it. I must gain power and I must defeat Itachi. If I must kill Naruto to do it…I…_he swallowed, _I should sleep._ And he forced his eyes closed again, slowing his breathing in an attempt to clear his mind of its troubling thoughts. It was a meditative method that his old sensei Kakashi had taught him long ago that he often found useful still in his travels.

He had almost managed to drift to sleep when the shuffling of footsteps outside his door awoke him from his semi-comatose state. His eyes flickered open, his hand brushing against the edge of his sword, fingers curling around the intricately carved hilt.

And then the soft whispers of the two people outside his door reached his ears, and his eyes flickered crimson.

* * *

"Oof!" Sakura gasped out, falling down and rolling a few feet before pushing herself up. Naruto was beside her in an instant. "Ah! Sakura-chan, I'm so sorry!"

Sakura pushed him away, angry at herself for her weakness. "Don't be. I asked you to come at me like an enemy. I need to train if I'm going to get better and I can't do that if you treat me like I'm going to break."

Naruto frowned, but nodded. "Ok, Sakura-chan." But he pulled her to her feet anyway, despite her protests. She rubbed her back, grimacing at the small twinges of pain that shot up her spine.

"You're getting better." Kakashi called from the sidelines, where he was reading more of his perverted shunga prints.

Sai was sitting off to the side as well, and Sakura could see him adorously painting something, his ink sitting beside him as his brush glided across the page. She was curious as to what he could be drawing, but she didn't go over and ask. She was still angry with him over his comments about Naruto being a half-breed.

She blinked. Wait…how did Sai know Naruto was half-demon anyway? Did the Hokage's ninja really know that much about everyone? She swallowed, a bit nervous. She hadn't thought there were people who were so good at ferreting out secrets.

"So." Kakashi rolled up his shunga print and stuck it into his robes. "I decided that as good as it is for us to keep traveling and get to the shrine quickly, we need to cover up our tracks. The hunters that Akumu are sending after us will no doubt think that we'll be traveling non-stop through the forest. They probably know that we're heading to the shrine, since it's the only safe haven for you at this point." Kakashi looked pointedly at Sakura.

"We should just dump him." Naruto snapped out, glaring at Sai. "He's probably going to slow us down anyway, and besides, he makes us unlucky. We only need three people (2).

"So how are we going to get them off of our trail?" Sakura asked as she sat down beside him, breathing in the delicious smell of cooked food. At least Kakashi could do SOMETHING productive while he looked at his porn.

She was about to take a bite of her fish when she saw a small flicker of movement. Sai was putting his pictures away. She bit her bottom lip uncertainly, as she noticed Naruto happily devouring his own food and trying to look underneath Kakashi's scarf at the same time.

She looked back down at her own fish, before sighing and standing. The others became quiet as they watched, while Sai looked up. His eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion as she neared him. She smiled, crouching down beside him, holding out the fish.

He looked from her, to the wonderful smelling food, and back, his eyes flickering with confusion.

"Truce?"

He blinked.

She rubbed the back of her neck. "I know…I know we got off to a bad start. I wanted to say that I have no hard feelings."

Silence.

"Just eat the food, ok?" She snapped out as she shoved it into his hands, cheeks flushed red in embarrassment and anger under his dark gaze. She walked back over to where Naruto and Kakashi sat.

Sai watched her slim figure retreat back towards the fire, and then he looked down at the fish. He took a tentative bite, and just then realized how hungry he was. He finished the fish off quickly, hearing a loud laugh. Sakura had apparently just told a joke, because she was grinning and Naruto was laughing loudly, while the monk Kakashi chuckled.

Could these people…really be that dangerous?

_Sai knelt down on the tatami mat in front of the raised dais, his forehead touching the floor. He did not move, only waited to be acknowledged._

_"Sit up."_

_He did so, and held himself rigid and straight, still keeping his eyes on the floor, not meeting the gaze of his superior._

_"I have a very important mission for you. I have convinced the Hokage to allow one of my ninja to go and aide the hogosha we've been hearing so much about. I want you to track them down."_

_He blinked, nodding, even as confusion and curiosity flickered in his dark eyes._

_"I merely want you to make sure…that the hogosha and her traveling companions are not a threat."_

_"Of course, Danzou-sama."_

"Back to the business at hand." Kakashi drawled, pulling Sai out of his musings. "To answer your question about where we'll be headed Sakura…we need to go somewhere big, noisy, and crowded where we can lose ourselves among the inhabitants."

"Do you have a place in mind?" Sakura asked curiously.

Kakashi smiled from behind his scarf.

"Yes."

* * *

"_Shimabara (3)_." Sakura hissed heatedly underneath her breath, glaring at Kakashi. "THIS is where we're hiding?"

Kakashi shrugged, expertly dodging her furious gaze. If looks could kill, Sai suspected that Kakashi would be lying in a pool of his own blood right now. "No one will suspect us here."

"That's because no one respectable would _go_ here." Sakura swallowed, as the gates loomed ahead of them.

"Aw lighten up, Sakura-chan."

"Lighten up? We are in one of the most famous hanamachis (4) of all time and you're telling me to _lighten_ _up_?" Sakura growled out. "My aunt would have a heart-attack if she found out I was in such a place." She tried to ignore the strange and nauseating smells that wafted through the air, mostly hidden beneath the scent of cooking food and cheap perfume.

"Sakura-chaaaaan…" Naruto whined.

"You have to call her Hachisuka here." Kakashi turned to Naruto, his gaze serious.

"Eh?" Naruto blinked.

"No one can know she's a woman, dickless." Sai piped in, before giving another fake smile. Naruto silently fumed, while Sakura merely took a deep breath.

"Ok, but we're just finding an inn and that's it! Then I'm going to sleep."

"No way, Sakura-chan! It's a festival! We have to go and check things out." Naruto grinned, before grabbing her hand and pulling her through the gates.

"Oh god…" Was all Sakura could say as she was engulfed in the large cheering crowds. She would admit silently that Shimabara was a breathtaking place. But that did NOT mean she enjoyed it. She was having a hard time keeping her blush in check as she followed Naruto down the crowded street.

_She was naked, she was naked—oh god are they having sex in the DOORWAY!?_ Sakura wanted to die. She was even silently praying that a demon would attack.

"This area of town is a bit rowdier than usual." Kakashi muttered as he appeared beside them with Sai in tow. "But we should be able to get through and head to our quarters easily enough."

"Quarters?" Sakura questioned archly, even as she tried to avoid the stares of several half-clothed women leaning against a brothel wall.

"Further into town, there are several okiya (5) and ochaya (6) there. We're heading to the one called The Jade Pavilion."

"You have got to be kidding me." Sakura hissed, but managed not to lunge at her sensei and strangle him. Because at that moment, several women walked up to them. They giggled behind their fans, and Sakura swallowed, trying to look everywhere but at them.

One of them grabbed onto her arm, and was caressing her muscles through her gi. "Ohh, you're so strong." The girl purred, while her friend giggled, batting her eyelashes.

When was this nightmare going to end?

"Why don't you come with us? We can make you feel good." The other girl broached, latching onto Sakura's other arm and tugging her towards a large brothel nearby.

"Um, I, uh…no thank you?" Sakura stuttered out, blushing bright red.

"Oh he's so cute!"

Sakura looked towards the others—Naruto was staring in horror, Kakashi looked amused, and Sai was emotionless—and mouthed "help me".

Naruto, thankfully, came to her rescue.

"Hey! Leave him alone." He grabbed Sakura's arm and pulled her away from the giggling women.

The two girls blinked for a moment, glaring at Naruto, before realization seemed to don in their eyes.

"Oh no, he's one of THEM."

"Oh please, honorable samurai! We can pleasure you more than a man can!"

Sakura didn't think her face could get any redder, and neither did Naruto.

"Oh come on, Sakura-chan! It's just good fun." Naruto grinned, trying to cheer the horrified girl up.

Sakura couldn't understand how Naruto and Kakashi and Sai were so at ease around all these half-dressed women! It was as if…as if…and her eyes widened. Those egotistical male pigs! They'd all probably visited a place like this before! How could men do that? How could they lower women down to be nothing more than…than…a night of fun!

"It isn't fun." Sakura hissed, trying to hide her blush even as she glared at the male. "It's taking advantage of a woman who can't do anything else to survive in this world."

"Eh?"

"Did you know that most of them become prostitutes so they can support their children? It's sick that you would…that men would…that…" And she merely pushed passed him.

None of the males in Sakura's group could quite understand why she suddenly glared at all them outright, mumbling something about "chauvinistic male pigs" before stomping off into the crowd, causing them to hurry after her.

"Where is that dam Jade Pavilion anyway!?"

* * *

"Oh look at his sword! It's so long and beautiful. He must be powerful."

_Am I allowed to commit seppuku yet?_ Sakura wailed silently, sitting stiffly, face bright red.

Kakashi could only smile from beneath his scarf. A geisha sat beside him, trying to engage him in conversation, but his eyes never left the scene in front of him.

Sakura was currently surrounded by seven geisha, all of which were fawning over the pink-haired girl. Some were playing with her hair, others brushing against her arms. She was as still as stone, her face resigned, as if she were awaiting the executioners block. He hadn't thought someone could be so pale and yet blush so deeply at the same time.

She really was an adorable little thing when she was embarrassed.

"Oh your hair is so beautiful…I've never seen this shade before." One of the geisha giggled, twisting a rose-colored lock around her finger and trying to catch Sakura's eyes.

Another caressed her cheek. "And your skin is so soft—like a woman's!"

"I wonder if it's as soft everywhere else too." Another laughed softly, hand drifting across the hem of Sakura's gi.

"And he's so cute when he blushes!"

"Such a gentlemen too!"

She coughed, "Er um, could I bother you for some tea?"

"Oh how polite! Of course great samurai." One of them—she was practically sitting in Sakura's lap now, exclaimed. "Ayaka, get our guest some tea."

One of the girls gave a small whine in protest before getting up from Sakura's side and doing as she was told.

_One down, six to go,_ Sakura thought morosely. She glared at Kakashi across the room. He caught her eye and winked, and she could tell he was silently laughing at her discomfort. Sai was sitting off to the side of the room, painting. The women had quickly learned that he did not want their attention and had seem put off by his emotionless, cold ways, even though they did comment on how beautiful he was. "almost as beautiful as YOU great samurai", yes, those were the words they had used, or so Sakura thought.

Kakashi had sent Naruto off to guard the outside of the building in case someone had followed them from the forest.

_Lucky bastard._

The young girl with the tea arrived, and she blushed beneath her makeup at Sakura before placing it in front of her, "Here you are, honorable samurai."

"Thank you." Sakura managed a polite smile, unknowingly striking an adorable pose that made all the geisha in the room inwardly give a dreamy sigh.

Kakashi decided that he'd tortured Sakura enough. "Hachisuka, come with me."

Sakura looked up suddenly, and her face became serious. "Yes, sensei." She politely excused herself from the group of women—all of whom were now pouting at her abrupt departure—and walked over to where Kakashi stood.

Sai watched them expectantly, and began to stand as well. Kakashi shook his head, holding up a hand. "No, you stay here, Sai. Watch over our rooms and supplies, and explain to Naruto when he gets back."

Sai nodded stoically, before sitting back down.

"Let's go."

Sakura followed behind him gratefully.

* * *

"Ok this was NOT what I had in mind when Kakashi-sensei said we were information hunting." Sakura grumbled to herself, dodging a cart on the crowded streets. The smell of food mixed with urine, sex, and alcohol made her want to puke, and she was glad she'd eaten a light meal at the ochaya earlier. She would admit, the way the paper lanterns glinted in the light was beautiful, and the sounds of laughter gave the entire area a lighthearted feel to it.

But really, Kakashi hadn't told her what to look for! He had just pushed her out the door and into the street and told her to, "get some information, I have some contacts I need to meet up with".

She supposed he wanted her to try and find something out about any demons or anything on Akumu but…where was she supposed to LOOK? She'd never been to a place like this, and she'd certainly never had to try and get information out of someone. She wasn't the most intimidating looking person and she didn't have much money for bribes…

Her shoulders slumped and she gave a despaired sigh. This day was going from bad to worse.

"Hey you!"

Sakura blinked, hearing a voice yell out through the crowds. She turned, as did most everyone else surrounding the large booth.

"Yes! You, great samurai!"

Sakura blinked again, because the man was pointing at her. She raised an eyebrow in question, before looking him over. He was wearing a painting animal mask, like most people at the festival were doing. It hung to the side of his head, and he was smiling pleasantly. He had brown hair cut short, like Naruto's, but he was much older, maybe a few years younger than Kakashi at most.

He was wearing a normal gi and hakama, and was leaning on a sword nonchalantly, his dark eyes warm and inviting. As he noticed her gaze his smile widened.

"How would you…like to prove your worth as a warrior against a demon?"

* * *

Sasuke's eyes narrowed as he leaned against the thin wall that separated his room from the hallway. Two voices conversed softly in the near-silence. He recognized one of them as one of the innkeeper's servants—he'd seen the man slinking around enough to recognize his nasally voice. The other person was unknown, but Sasuke immediately recognized a demon.

"So…you know that the hogosha is nearby?" The demon hissed—a snake-like sound, one that made Sasuke cringe. If there was one thing he disliked after his years of training under the great snake-demon Orochimaru, it was that hissing sound.

"Well," Sasuke could almost see the man puffing up with pride and self-importance. "An informant has told me they're heading to Rain."

The demon gave another hiss—an angry, infuriated sound that made the servant give a small whimper, all his earlier arrogance forgotten.

"Rain. That means they're heading to the Boufuu Temple...what could they want there?"

"I-I don't know."

"You have served your usefulness…have more information for me later, human." And then the demon was gone, his presence vanishing.

There was a soft thump as the man leaned against the wall, trying to control his emotions. Sasuke merely unsheathed his sword, held it aloft, and then slammed it down, sending it through the thin wall. He heard a choked gasp and the sound of blood splattering across the wall, as well as felt it seeping through the tear in the rice paper.

He pulled his sword back out and wiped it on the filthy tatami mat before sheathing it.

He needed to have a nice chat with the innkeeper.

He shouldered his pack, sauntering out the door and closing it behind him, sparing the corpse leaning against the wall a brief, disdain filled glance before looking back down the hall as footsteps neared.

Two people came around the corner. One was the innkeeper (good, it seemed he wouldn't have to go searching for the cowardly bastard after all) and the other was the young, pale-eyed serving girl who had showed him to his room.

The girl let out a muffled scream at the sight of the dead man, while the innkeeper's eyes widened in surprise and then horror as realization donned. He turned to flee, but Sasuke grabbed him before he could get away and pushed him up against the wall.

Sasuke slammed his tantō into the wall a few centimeters away from the tavern owners cheek. Several strands of brownish-grey hair fell to the floor. Behind him he heard a soft cry, and saw the small serving girl holding her hands over her mouth, eyes wide in fright.

"Now you will tell me what you know about the hogosha." Sasuke drawled, leaning forward so that he was whispering in the older man's ear.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I saw the sign on the back door. You're an information gatherer for demons. This entire tavern is crawling with them." Sasuke continued coldly. "Now tell me what I need to know or I will extract the information from you myself."

The man swallowed. Finally, he spoke, as sweat beaded his forehead. A few droplets dripped down his face, pooling in the small indention above his upper lip. "There's word going around that one of the hogosha has begun amassing an army to fight off Akumu now that he's been freed. He has a fox-demon under his command as well as the last Hatake. He's said to be the most powerful hogosha yet, aside from Uchiha Itachi—"

Sasuke's eyes burned crimson at the sound of his brother's name and he reached up, snapping the man's neck before he knew what he was doing. He blinked, his eyes regaining their normal opaque onyx color as he let the man drop.

He heard a whimper and turned again to see that the girl was still standing there. She was quivering from head to two, but when his gaze landed on her she met his eyes defiantly. She swallowed, before speaking.

"I don't belong here."

"That," Sasuke drawled, "Is obvious."

The young girl blushed, "I ran away from home, because I overheard my father speaking of demons and the hogosha. I want to join the hogosha's army!" She sounded determined. "I know I can help! And after what you just did, you must work with the hogosha too!"

"You're foolish." Sasuke snapped. "I could have been a spy for Akumu. If that was so you'd be dead right now."

"I knew you weren't evil."

Sasuke blinked, because the utter conviction in the girl's voice startled him. He hadn't known that anyone could believe he was anything but evil and tainted. "I am not going to join this _great _hogosha's army. I have a different mission."

"You're one of them, aren't you?"

"What?"

"Your eyes burned crimson. You're an Uchiha."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in the girl's direction and she flinched, but didn't back down. Finally, Sasuke spoke. "You may follow, but do not expect me to wait for you if you fall behind."

* * *

(1) The _**kuge**_ (公家) was a Japanese aristocratic class that dominated the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto until the rise of the Shogunate in the 12th century at which point it was eclipsed by the daimyo. The _kuge_ still provided a weak court around the Emperor right up until the Meiji Restoration.

Though they lost the most of their political power, they sustained the court culture and maintained a cultural influence. In particular, after the Sengoku period they lost most of their financial basis and were no longer in a position to act as patrons of culture. But they passed on their knowledge as masters of particular fields such as writing waka and playing instruments like the biwa, and had disciples among the daimyo and sometimes rich commoners. As masters of a certain field, kuge gave their disciples many licences certifying that the disciples had learned a certain field and allowed them to do practice in public or sometimes to teach others. Disciples were expected to pay their master a fee for each issued license. During the Edo period, this was an important source of income for the _kuge_.

(2) When Naruto says that Sai makes them "unlucky" he is referring to the fact that they will now be a 4-man group. The Japanese don't like the number 4 and 9 because of their pronunciation. Four is pronounced "shi" which is the same pronunciation as death. Nine is pronounced "ku" which has the same pronunciation as agony or torture.

(3) **Shimabara** (嶋原) was a courtesan's district in Kyoto. It was established in 1640 for a brothel owned by Hara Saburoemon, and was closed in 1958, when prostitution was outlawed in Japan.

(4) A **hanamachi** (花街) is a Japanese courtesan and geisha district. The word's literal meaning is "flower town".

(5) **Okiya**: geisha houses

(6) **Ochaya**: tea houses where geisha would entertain customers

* * *

**(A\N: Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it! :) Who could possibly be the man that Sakuea has run into? And when will Sakura and the others meet up with Sasuke? Well...it's a secret. XD But it should only be a few more chapters before Sasuke and his little tag-along friend meet up with Sakura's team. Well, I have to go and finish my homework...since school starts Monday. ugh. T-T**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**

Preview, Chapter 6: Hinin

"We have to get out of the city fast." Sakura hissed out, back pressed against the stone wall, even as they heard the footsteps thundering all around them, heard people calling out, pulling people out of their homes and searching them.

"We're surrounded. They're searching the entire city and anyone who tries to leave through the gate. There's no way out." Kakashi muttered, his own gaze darkened.

"We'll fight our way out then!" Naruto whispered vehemently. "No one is going to touch Sakura-chan!"

"There's too many of them, dickless." Sai answered back, his voice holding the same fake cheery tone as always. "We'll end up being slaughtered no matter what."

"How did they get control of Shimabara's guards anyway?" Yamato asked. "It doesn't make sense that a demon would have such a powerful reach in the human world, especially if he's been trapped."

"True." Kakashi spoke gruffly, and his eyes went to Sai, though the younger man didn't seem to notice. "Someone must be helping him. Someone human."

"It doesn't really matter at the moment." Sakura growled out. "We're dead either way, so the information isn't going to change anything."

"Don't worry Sakura-chan! I'll protect you with my life!" Naruto gave her a determined smile, and she couldn't help but nod and smile back.

"Let's try and keep that from happening though, shall we? Come on." Kakashi bolted out of the shadows made by the wall and the others followed him wordlessly.

"Yamato-san, you have been in this city longer than any of us. Is there any alternate route out?"

The brunette shook his head at Sakura's question. "None that the guards wouldn't know of already."

"Damn."

They saw lanterns flickering in the distance and they all managed to bolt down an alleyway, heading towards the safe cover if the bridge in the distance.

"They know we're here. There's no way out. We've already failed." Sakura whispered, more to herself than anyone else."

"Are you one of the hogosha?" Came a raspy voice from the shadows.

They all froze, hands on their weapons, before letting out a multitude of gasps at the sight in front of them.


	7. Chapter 6: Hinin

**(A\N: Hey guys! I'm sorry this chapter was so later. Forgive me? **

**Oh, and I just wanted to clear something up. I guess I wasn't very precise in my last chapter…Geisha are not prostitutes. The prostitutes at the red-light district part of the town were not Geisha. Sakura and the others only met the Geisha at the okiya, and there, the geisha are only entertainers, which is what Geisha are. They aren't whores, and I really hope that most of you got that. :) I do try and do my research, so I guess that part just didn't come out right in the earlier chapter. I apologize if you guys took it the wrong way. Anyway, that doesn't really matter. We all know you guys came here to read the next chapter, not listen to me. :P So…ENJOY!)**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Hinin**

* * *

_Sakura blinked again, because the man was pointing at her. She raised an eyebrow in question, before looking him over. He was wearing a painting animal mask, like most people at the festival were doing. It hung to the side of his head, and he was smiling pleasantly. He had brown hair cut short, like Naruto's, but he was much older, maybe a few years younger than Kakashi at most._

_He was wearing a normal gi and hakama, and was leaning on a sword nonchalantly, his dark eyes warm and inviting. As he noticed her gaze his smile widened._

"_How would you…like to prove your worth as a warrior against a demon?"_

* * *

"Excuse me?" Sakura sputtered out, blinking stupidly. "M-me?"

The man threw his head back and gave a loud laugh, before nodding. He began walking over to her, and Sakura tensed. Her hand went to her sword, even though she knew that this man didn't mean her any harm. His aura was too calm and gentle. But…there was something off about him all the same, something she couldn't quite place.

"It's what all samurai want, right? To prove your worth and prowess."

"Er…I guess." Sakura swallowed, because a crowd was forming around them, mostly thanks to the man's loud booming voice.

"Well, I was once a young warrior like yourself, young man." The brunette man grinned. "It's the reason for all of this." He waved a hand behind him at the rack of weapons leaning against the wall of his booth. "But in a world like ours, we have to make due with what we have, ne? We can't be warriors forever."

"I…suppose…"

"But that's beside the point." The man stared at her intently, and Sakura took an unconscious step backwards. His stare was…scary! And she felt as if he knew who she was, and that unnerved her more than anything.

"You seem like a strong warrior, so I wanted to see if you could prove yourself." The man looked to the crowd. "Well? Would you like to see this young man fight a demon?"

The crowd roared in approval, the young women giving wistful sighs in Sakura's direction. Sakura threw her hands up, "Oh no, I couldn't possibly—"

"Afraid?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed a bit, and she gave a small huff. "A true samurai would never use his sword for entertainment. A weapon is used to protect our superiors and the Bushido code. This is petty, and I won't do it."

The man's smile seemed to grow. "Is that so?" He looked to the crowd, who were booing and groaning in disapproval. "I think our young man needs a better incentive! What would you give him to fight, hm?" And then, miraculously, the man produced a large purse from behind his back.

He held it up, shaking it. A few coins clinked noisily inside. "Hm. I don't think this will be enough to persuade our powerful warrior. Who would like to contribute? Come on now, don't be shy!"

The crowd hurriedly dug into purses, fishing out coins and putting them in the bag as the man walked by with it.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. _So, he's a con-artist, eh? He knows that most of these people are too drunk to realize they're being tricked._

She saw, out of the corner of her eye, the man slip a few coins into his pocket instead of the purse.

_I wouldn't even get all of the money if I won!_ She let out an indignant huff before crossing her arms over her chest. It was just then that the man walked over to her, swinging the now heavy purse as he did so. He held it out almost teasingly. "Well, great samurai? Is this enough to convince you?"

"I don't fight for money either." Sakura snapped. She made to turn away, but he grabbed her arm. As he did so, she tensed, her other hand resting lightly on Shoki's hilt. As her fingers brushed against the sword, a jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her. As the three connect—Sakura, Shoki, and the mysterious man—realization struck her.

This man was definitely more than he seemed.

This man…was a hogosha.

Sakura stared into his dark eyes and he stared back, neither blinking. Time seemed to slow and stop, before Sakura finally looked down at his hand holding her arm. _If I beat his demon, perhaps he will come with me and give me some answers. But…why would a hogosha have a demon anyway?_

"Very well." She finally decided. "I'll play your game."

The crowd burst into cheers.

The man smiled. "Excellent."

* * *

"My feet hurt."

He didn't twitch.

"I'm hungry."

He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

"How long have we been walking?"

He pressed his lips together in irritation.

"Do we have to sleep on the _ground_?"

Sasuke whirled around to glare at the young girl walking behind him. She froze, flinching beneath his anger, before swallowing. "Sorry."

He merely gave a grunt and turned to begin walking again.

"Why did you leave Konoha?"

"Hn."

"I mean…" Hanabi--he'd learned the girl's name a while back--continued, skipping happily beside him. "I suppose that it would make sense. You're trying to kill your brother, right? He's evil, isn't he? My father talks about the Uchiha Clan a lot."

"Hn." Sasuke felt the Sharingan activate itself at the mention of his brother, but he suppressed it easily, telling himself to remain calm. He needed all of his senses to be alert, in case they were attacked. Akumu was doing all he could to kill off the hogosha.

A part of Sasuke felt guilty for not meeting up with his sensei to help fight the demon off. He clenched his hand around his sword's hilt. He couldn't fight Akumu. Before he could do anything…he had to kill his brother.

It was his duty as an Uchiha.

His duty as an Avenger.

Besides…how could he hope to defeat Akumu if he couldn't kill Itachi? He had given up everything for the power to kill him. He had destroyed any bonds he'd ever hand. He'd sold his soul to a demon. He'd--

"Uchiha-san?"

"What?"

"Where are we going?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment.

"Takumi no Sato."

The last known location of Uchiha Itachi.

* * *

"Very well, young samurai!" The man's voice carried throughout the crowded streets. "Let the trial begin! If you win, you will get the purse of money. There's nothing to lose but your pride, right?"

Sakura merely gave a small sigh. "What must I do?"

The man motioned towards the rack of weapons. "Grab the bow that you would prefer."

"Bow?" Sakura looked at the few that leaned against the wall, as well as a quiver of arrows. She hesitantly walked over and picked one up. It was a medium sized one, made of a heavy wood. She bent down, grabbing a string and pulling it tightly. She checked the tautness and found it was to her satisfaction.

It seemed that the man was going to have her go through a few trials before she got to 'fight the demon'. This was just to get the crowd interested, she guessed. As she bent down next to the quiver, the man spoke again. "You'll only need two arrows."

She grabbed them, shouldering the bow and walking back over to where the man stood. "What now?"

The man merely pulled two objects from the sleeves of his gi, holding them up for everyone to see.

Two peaches.

He placed them atop his head, and held out his arms. "You have two tries to shoot these apples from my head, great samurai. This is a test of your precision! After all, you can't defeat a demon if you aren't able to hit him, eh?"

The crowd laughed along with him, and Sakura couldn't help but tilt the corner of her mouth up a bit as well. Then the brunette took a step to his right. "And to make it more interesting…I'll be a moving target as well."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. _Damn. Now I have to try and hit the arrows off without hitting him. It's dark, so my eyesite is hindered as well. And there are a lot of people here, I can't miss or I'll end up shooting them._

The man's eyes twinkled, as if he knew what she was thinking.

Sakura merely gripped her bow tightly—and the man dodged to the right, running towards her. Sakura was momentarily amazed at his ability to keep the peaches balanced while running so swiftly. The crowd was cheering loudly, as Sakura tried to determine when she would be able to loose her first shot. She'd have to do this fast, if she wanted to get the second shot in before he was too close.

But…his movements were jerky and erratic; unpredictable. How was she going to get two shots in before he reached her? It was…impossible.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. She was a hogosha! She had to think of this as training. She pictured the inugami who had attacked them a few days before. His snarling face flared in her mind and she acted on instinct.

She pulled the bow up levelly, both arrows in hand, strung them, and loosed in one swift movement.

A second later, both peaches were pinned to the wall behind the man, juices dripping down the grainy wood to the tightly-packed dirt floor.

The crowd went silent for a moment—before they burst into raucus cheers. The man smiled at her, though she could see he was trying to hide his own shock. She knew her own surprise shown clearly on her face. How…had she done that?

"Well done! Your aim is sharp, young warrior." The man then pulled out the small table beside his weapon's rack. He sat himself down on a stool she hadn't seen him grab, before pulling out three cups and a golden coin.

"Now…let's test your mind." He put the coin underneath one of the cups, and then began to rapidly switch the order around. Sakura's eyes fixed upon the cup with the coin, and she followed it, though the man's movements were almost too quick for her eyes.

Who was this man? And what purpose did this game serve?

Finally, he stopped, "Pick."

The crowd leaned in, as Sakura bit her lip. Finally she pointed the cup at the far left. "That one."

"You're smart." The man laugh as he held it up, showing the coin underneath. The crowd clapped. He then pulled out four more wooden cups. "But let's see how well your memory will serve you now."

_He's testing my intelligence and my ability to see and retain information. This isn't just a normal game. I can see it in his eyes…this hogosha has a plan. But what is it?_

The cups moved, and Sakura strained her eyes to follow the cup with the coin. Finally, the brunette man stopped his movements, and Sakura pointed to the second cup on the left side. "There."

The man laughed, as the crowd cheered and the golden coin was revealed.

"You're _very_ smart, young warrior…but a samurai must have more than skill and intelligence. He must also know how to judge character. He must make choices quickly. And so, for this last round, the number of cups remains the same but…" His smile grew. "You must choose someone to watch the cups for you and choose correctly. You yourself must not look at them."

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

_He knows._ She swallowed, because she felt her stomach plummet. This man knew she was a hogosha. Or rather, that she was a Haruno. He knew that the Haruno abilities meant she could read auras. If she chose someone she knew she could trust and had the skills to find the coin, his suspicions would be confirmed. But what would happen if she chose incorrectly? She might lose her chance to speak to him.

_Kakashi-sensei wanted me to get information. This seems to be my best bet. _

Sakura nodded determinatedly. "Very well." Then she looked to the crowd, searching faces. She settled upon an old woman, with a hawkish face and clear eyes—she hadn't been drinking. She smiled at her, "Hello obasan. Could you come help me for a moment?"

The woman blushed softly, before nodding. "Of course." The group of young girls behind her let out squeals of disappointment.

Sakura merely gave the older woman another charming smile. "I'm counting on you, ne?"

The woman nodded. "R-right."

Sakura met the brunette man's gaze, but then deliberately turned her back. "Begin." She heard the shuffling of the cups as the glided across the wooden table, and the echoe of the golden coin banging against the cup's side.

The shuffling stopped, "Choose."

Sakura swallowed, as she heard the older woman give a small sound of distress, before she clearing her throat. "That one." The cup was lifted, and there was a moment of silence.

Then, the crowd erupted into cheers. Sakura blinked, before turning to see the golden coin glinting up at her. The brunette man handed the woman the coin—her payment for her help—before he looked back at Sakura.

"Well, you've passed all the trials. Are you ready to face the demon?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "What is your name?"

"Yamato."

"Yamato." Sakura repeated, before giving a nod. "Yes, Yamato-san, I am ready to face your demon." _I sense no demons here. What do you have up your sleeve?_

Yamato merely pulled out a sword. "Let us fight then."

And then he lunged.

* * *

"Eh? Sakura-chan! Where are you?" Naruto yelled into the crowd, cupping his mouth with his hands. Then he blinked, remembering that he wasn't supposed to call her by her name in public. He opened his mouth to yell again, then closed it, worry glittering in his blue eyes.

Where was she?

And where was that old man Kakashi?

Sai had said the two had gone off together. Naruto bit his lip, even as images popped into his mind. Steamy, disgusting, horrifying images. What would that perverted old man be doing with his Sakura-chan? She was too innocent to know what the pervert was capable of! Kakashi was just like the Ero-sennin! Those lechers wouldn't think twice about taking advantage of his beautiful little Sakura-chan!

And Sai hadn't helped at all, after saying the two had left together. He'd merely made the comment that maybe Sakura preferred men with penises over those without them.

Naruto clenched his fist. _Teme…_he merely sniffed the air, trying to catch Sakura's unique scent of green tea and sandalwood.

He was so distraught, he passed a ramen stand without thinking, pushing through the crowd clumsily. He had promised he would protect Sakura with his life. How could he do that if he didn't know where she was?

What if she was hurt?

What if Akumu had found her?

He should have been _watching. _This was all his fault.

And that was when he caught sight of a familiar face.

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto let out a loud yell as he rushed towards the silver-haired monk.

* * *

Sai landed at the bottom of the alleyway in a crouch from where he had jumped off of the roof. He could feel his target moving in the crowded street thirty feet away. He began moving, keeping to the shadows.

He knew that Naruto had left the building as well. Really, the half-breed was making Sai's mission almost too easy. He had lumbered off as noisily as he always did, making it easy to know when he'd left.

Sai merely looked out of the alleyway into the heavily lighted street that it opened up into. People were laughing and talking drunkenly with one another. His footsteps were muted by the crowd. He looked around, dark eyes searching for his target.

There.

Sai's eyes narrowed as he saw Hatake leaning against the booth, talking with the man behind it. He pulled out the small needle he had been hiding in his sleeve all night. He handled it carefully, his gaze never leaving the monk.

Now would be the perfect time. Danzou-sama wanted Hatake Kakashi dead…and with no witnesses, now was the best time to do it. The poison drenched needle would barely be felt by the monk. Besides, the point would kill him in a timespan of 30 seconds. They would think he was drunk, or something along those lines. No one would know he was dead.

Perfect.

Sai began his trek through the crowded streets, blending into the crowd until he was deftly dodging the mass of bodies with ease, slipping between a pair of prostitutes until he was almost to Kakashi's booth.

This would be over quickly enough. After him, Sai would deal with Sakura.

The half-breed wasn't important enough to kill.

"Eh? Kakashi-sensei!"

Sai blinked, freezing, as Naruto burst from the crowd—no sublety at all—and ran up to the white-haired monk. "I was looking everywhere for you!"

"Naruto, what are you doing out here?"

"I wanted to help you find Sakura-chan!" His plan was ruined, but now would be a good time to show himself. He could always kill them at a later date.

"Don't call her that here, dickless."

Both Kakashi and Naruto turned as Sai slipped out of the crowd and walked over to them. Naruto frowned at him, glaring at the same time, "Shut up, teme."

Kakashi merely met his gaze, and Sai saw the suspicion glittering there. He froze for a moment, eyes widening, as he realized that Kakashi had known he was there all along.

He opened his mouth to speak, when a group of girls pushed past him, running down the street.

"Come on, we have to hurry! The fight might be over before we get there!"

"Oh I hope not! I want to see the gorgeous pink-haired samurai!"

Sai, Kakashi, and Naruto shared a collective glance, before rushing through the crowd after the women.

* * *

Sakura ducked, hearing the blade whistling through the air above her head. She saw a few strands of pink hair fall to the floor. She'd mourn their loss later. Right now, she had to get away from the maniac she was fighting.

This had been going on for at least fifteen minutes. Ever since Yamato had attacked her she had been dodging him, trying to find a way out of this situation and alert the others. Yamato had been coming at her with the intent to kill, not just to win their little duel. Sakura didn't know who or what he was, but she would be damned before she let him kill her.

She was wondering if he was an assassin for Akumu. But…if Akumu had one of the hogosha on his side, that meant they were horribly screwed.

She rolled away from him, leaping up and blocking his next attack with Shoki. The blade hummed in her hand, eager for battle. She consented, striking out with the heel of her foot. It connected with his lower calf right above the ankle. He let out a small grunt as his leg buckled from the force of the blow, and he stumbled to the side. Sakura leapt forward with her blade, and gave one final sword swipe.

There was a long moment of silence as both combatants stared at one another. Sakura was breathing harshly, and her clothes stuck to her body with sweat. Yamato was cool and calm, but his own breathing was labored.

But that wasn't the reason Sakura was frozen, eyes wide in shock. No, it was the fact that Yamato's blade was only a few centimeters away from her throat. At least she could saw the same for him. Shoki seemed to vibrate maliciously under her hand, wanting to leap forward and attack.

She kept the blade straight, staring into Yamato's eyes. Her body trembled and ached from exertion. She knew he was a more skilled swordsman than she was, that much was obvious. But he had said so himself that he had once been a samurai. But Sakura had held her own against him, and her speed had made up for her lack of experience.

"You fought well." Yamato grunted.

"You too."

"Hey! Hey you! Leave her alone!"

Sakura jerked a bit, turning her head to see Naruto push through the crowd surrounding them. Kakashi and Sai were only a second behind. Sakura stopped herself from yelling at Naruto for blowing their cover—but only because at that moment a man yelled from the back of the crowd.

"Move aside! This is a full-scale search as ordered by Lord Ogura!"

And then all hell broke loose.

People were running and screaming, shoving each other aside in an attempt to escape. Sakura saw armored men with swords pushing their way through the crowd. She made to head towards Naruto and the others, but was stopped as she was jerked backwards into a dark alleyway, a hand clamped over her mouth to keep her from screaming.

Before she was plunged into the darkness, she heard Naruto's mournful wail.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

* * *

The next thing Sakura knew, she was shoved painfully against a wall, and a body covered her own.

"What—" She began, but then Yamato's hand slammed back on her mouth, cutting her off. They had been running for several minutes, heading down twisting, dark alleyways and backstreets. Sakura had merely gripped Shoki tightly the entire time, hoping that the others would find her.

"Are you going to scream?" Yamato whispered.

Sakura glared at him, but shook her head. He took his hand away and they stared at one another in awkward silence for a moment. Finally, Sakura spoke. "What the hell is your problem? Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"It was a test."

"_What_?"

"I wanted to see who you were." Yamato answered back truthfully. "I knew you were a hogosha, but I didn't know which one you were. I wasn't sure if you were the Uchiha or not."

"Why would that have mattered?" Sakura asked, confused.

"It would have mattered greatly." Yamato answered back darkly, and the warning in his voice told Sakura not to venture further on that topic. She merely sheathed her sword, "Well, what about you? You're a hogosha too."

Yamato blinked, before he gave a small laugh. "Me? No, I'm no hogosha."

"Eh?" Sakura glared. "Of course you are. I sensed it. You have the blood of the hogosha."

Yamato's gaze sobered. "Truly? If you could sense my blood…your powers of aura reading and observation are amazing." He gave a small sigh, before sheathing his own sword. However, he kept his hand on the hilt, as they listened to screams and yells from soldiers and civilians alike in the crowded streets around them.

"I have the blood of the Senju Clan in me, but I am not from their clan."

"That doesn't make sense—"

"Let us leave it at that." Yamato cut her off, before his eyes narrowed a bit and he stiffened—just as Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi ran into the alleyway.

"Get away from her!" Naruto growled out savagely.

"Naruto, be quiet!" Sakura hissed. "We'll be discovered if you keep yelling like that!"

Naruto blinked stupidly, before he looked from Sakura to Yamato. Finally, he pointed a quivering finger at Yamato. "Who the hell are you, huh? Don't you dare touch Sakura-chan again!"

"I figured you were a woman." Yamato smiled at Sakura, who merely rolled her eyes.

"Answer Naruto's question." Kakashi's voice was cold and dangerous. "Who are you?"

"I thought you of all people would recognize me…Kakashi-senpai."

There was a moment of silence, before realization donned in Kakashi's only visible eye.

"…Yamato?"

Yamato smiled. "Hai."

"Who is this guy, Kakashi-sensei? Huh?" Naruto asked, still glaring at the brunette. Dammit, why did everyone keep trying to steal his Sakura-chan? And why did their group keep getting bigger? It was perfect when it was just him, Sakura, and Kakashi—and it would have been better if that pervy monk had a sudden unexplained heart attack while reading his shunga and he and Sakura were left alone...

"Yamato was an old friend of mine."

"Kakashi-senpai was my superior at our dojo." Yamato explained, and he was smiling good-naturedly again.

"Shouldn't we try and escape now?" Sai asked calmly, as they heard footsteps echoing through the streets.

"Yamato, do you know any way out?" Kakashi asked.

Yamato nodded. "Follow me."

* * *

"We have to get out of the city fast." Sakura hissed out, back pressed against the stone wall, even as they heard the footsteps thundering all around them, heard people calling out, pulling people out of their homes and searching them.

"We're surrounded. They're searching the entire city and anyone who tries to leave through the gate. There's no way out." Kakashi muttered, his own gaze darkened.

They'd been running for what seemed like ours, dodging behind buildings and almost getting caught by some of Ogura's guards twice. The first time, Sai had killed the man before he could announce their presence.

Sakura would never forget the sound of the man's blood splattering against the wall, or the way Sai nonchalantly wiped the blood from his knife on the man's gi before tucking it back into his sleeve.

"We'll fight our way out then!" Naruto whispered vehemently. "No one is going to touch Sakura-chan!"

"There's too many of them, dickless." Sai answered back, his voice holding the same fake cheery tone as always. "We'll end up being slaughtered no matter what."

"How did they get control of Shimabara's guards anyway?" Yamato asked. "It doesn't make sense that a demon would have such a powerful reach in the human world, especially if he's been trapped."

"True." Kakashi spoke gruffly, and his eyes went to Sai, though the younger man didn't seem to notice. "Someone must be helping him. Someone human."

"It doesn't really matter at the moment." Sakura growled out. "We're dead either way, so the information isn't going to change anything."

"Don't worry Sakura-chan! I'll protect you with my life!" Naruto gave her a determined smile, and she couldn't help but nod and smile back. She knew, strangely enough, that Naruto would keep his promise. She bet he would give her the moon if she asked for it.

"Let's try and keep that from happening though, shall we? Come on." Kakashi bolted out of the shadows made by the wall and the others followed him wordlessly.

"Yamato-san, you have been in this city longer than any of us. Is there any alternate route out?"

The brunette shook his head. "None that the guards wouldn't know of already."

"Damn."

They saw lanterns flickering in the distance and they all managed to bolt down an alleyway, heading towards the safe cover of the bridge in the distance.

"They know we're here. There's no way out. We've already failed." Sakura whispered, more to herself than anyone else."

"Are you one of the hogosha?" Came a raspy voice from the shadows.

They all froze, hands on their weapons, before letting out a multitude of gasps at the sight in front of them.

* * *

**(A\N: I'm sorry this chapter took so long. :) I hope that it made up for the long wait. I love Yamato so…here he is! Now Team Kakashi is fully formed!**

**Anyway…see ya guys later!**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**

_preview:_

_Chapter 7: Uchiha_

_Sakura stared down at the little girl in her arms, and could only hold her tighter. There was so much blood…who could have done this? The little girls breathing was labored, and she was sobbing._

_"It hurts…it hurts so bad."_

_"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."_

_"I'm…scared…"_

_"It's ok." Sakura felt the little girl still in her arms. "It's ok…it's ok, don't worry." And then she slowly placed the girl's body on the ground, placing her folded arms over her chest and closed her eyes._

_Sakura would have liked to stay to bury the girl's body and see to her properly, but she knew that she was in danger at the moment. She didn't know where the others were. She was stuck in enemy territory and she could feel demons all around her, their presences subtle but strong enough that she could identify them._

_She needed to get to the temple. Kakashi had said that if anything were to happen she needed to get there as quickly as possible. She would be safe there. She let out a small gasp, as a presence appeared behind her, in the open doorway of the hut._

_She whirled around, Shoki at hand, and stopped. Jade met crimson._

_"…you're…a hogosha…"_

_"Hn."_


	8. Chapter 7: Uchiha

**(A\n: Sorry that this took so long but...enjoy!)**

* * *

_They saw lanterns flickering in the distance and they all managed to bolt down an alleyway, heading towards the safe cover of the bridge in the distance._

"_They know we're here. There's no way out. We've already failed." Sakura whispered, more to herself than anyone else."_

"_Are you one of the hogosha?" Came a raspy voice from the shadows._

_They all froze, hands on their weapons, before letting out a multitude of gasps at the sight in front of them._

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Uchiha**

* * *

Sakura's first reaction was to recoil, taking a step backwards, even as the others moved forward, hands on their weapons. Sai was the only one who remained stationary, his gaze emotionless and guarded.

"You need to get out of this place, quickly." The rough voice continued, reaching forward.

"Who are you?" Kakashi's voice was steady and calm, the tone of a man who was in charge. Sakura took courage from his demeanor, and tried not to let her fear show.

"Friends." Rough voice reached forward and grasped Sakura's cloak. She swallowed, even as a noxious smell filled her senses and she swallowed back bile. She quickly retreated, almost falling over herself.

"You, you're—" She began, trying to distance herself from the crouched figure.

"Hinin." Naruto finished softly.

The raspy voiced speaker held up a small lantern, and they could now see his face clearly. He was in his late forties, with heavy lines etched into his face. His hair was dark grey and his eyes were tired and weary.

"What do you want?" Kakashi murmured.

"We know a way out of the city. If you come with us, we will take you." It was only then that Sakura noticed the other hunched shadows behind him.

"Why would you do that?" Yamato asked cautiously.

"The hogosha are here to destroy the evils of this world. That is our answer." And then he turned. "Follow us. We must head somewhere for the streets to quiet down first."

"Sakura?" Kakashi turned to her.

She knew what he was asking. Could they trust them? Their aurus were pure enough. They meant no harm. But…she felt uneasy. She wanted to shrink away from these people. They were hinin. Butchers, tanners, handlers of the dead. They were unclean.

She had been taught her entire life to stay away from them. They were below her. Below _anyone_.

"I…I suppose we should follow them. They mean us no harm." She whispered, almost hoping someone else would say something so they could leave. She could smell the dust and rotting meat from her new place at the back of their group. She didn't wish to get any further.

"Let's go then." Kakashi nodded, and Sakura saw the hinin man give a wide grin, showing off his almost toothless mouth. She winced inwardly, gripping Shoki tightly to keep from speaking.

Yamato and Kakashi were ahead of her, with Sai and Naruto close behind as they began walking, slipping through the shadows. She couldn't understand how at ease the others seemed around these people. It unnerved her, but she tried to push it aside as she followed dutifully behind Yamato. They'd entered another alleyway, and had been led down a pair of stone steps into a secret tunnel under the ground.

These were the tunnels used by the hinin. Because no one wanted to be around them, to see them or touch them, they traveled throughout Shimabara through this network.

It also meant…that none of the soldiers would go down here to search for them. They would think the place was diseased.

Sakura could barely stand the smell. It burned her nose and lungs, and her eyes watered. But she merely blinked away the tears and followed.

The tunnel opened up to a large, blank room. There was a door to the right and one to the left. And sitting against one wall…were their traveling packs.

"How…?" Sakura whispered.

"When we heard that the hogosha was coming here…" The main man spoke, his raspy voice filled with awe. "We followed you, hoping that we could aid you in any way. It is said that someone who touches one of the hogosha will be cleansed of all impurities."

Sakura stiffened, paling in the darkness. Would they…they try and _touch_ her? Naruto seemed to sense her fear because he stood a bit closer, perhaps trying to protect her from getting torn apart by overzealous believers.

"So you knew where we were staying." Kakashi sighed. "Thank you for your aid."

"Rest here." The man spoke quietly. "We will bring you some food for you trip and guide you out of the town when it is safe."

Then they were left alone, one small lantern burning in the middle of the room.

Sakura was reluctant to sit anywhere. She swallowed uneasily, wondering if there was any possible way that she could take a quick nap standing up. Naruto had no such qualms, as he hurriedly slumped to the ground with a tired groan. Sai gracefully sat as well, and Yamato and Kakashi were not far behind.

Sakura continued to stand awkwardly, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from saying something offensive.

"Why are you so uneasy?" Naruto asked worriedly. "These people are helping us! There's nothing to worry about."

"But…but they're _hinin_." Was the only thing she could manage.

There was a moment of silence.

"I see." Kakashi 'hmed'. "And that makes a difference, Sakura?"

"They're spiritually unclean." Sakura defended. "That's what the monks back home say—"

"Spiritually unclean?" Naruto whispered. "Sakura-chan…they're just like everybody else."

"They're human too. You were getting so defensive of those women before, but maybe you should look around before you judge. They are outcasts because they do jobs normal people wouldn't do. That doesn't mean they are filthy. You shouldn't be such a hypocrite, hag. They butcher animals, but we butcher humans." Sai finally cut in, as the tense silence stretched after Naruto's exclamation.

Sakura's gaze was confused and shocked, as realization sunk in.

"Who is the filthy one now?" And there was a harshness to that usual cheerful monotone that made Sakura flinch.

And all Sakura could do was stare down at her hands, shame overwhelming her.

She heard the others shifting on the ground around her, but she didn't move.

"Your parents were hinin weren't they Sai?" Naruto asked softly.

Sai said nothing, and that was answer enough.

Sakura's eyes widened. Sai's parents were hinin? But how had he become a shinobi? How was it possible? And then a burning shame welled up inside of her, and she felt her cheeks heat and tears sting her eyes. Sakura felt like the world's largest fool. She had acted so rashly…had spoken so cruelly. She bit her lip, and said nothing. What was there to say?

"It isn't fair…for people to judge others because of how they were born." Naruto muttered to himself. "It's…disgusting that someone would think like that. Thinking that they'll never be able to rise above what they were born into…that isn't true!" He shouted the last part, straight into the darkness of the around him, as if it would somehow make everything better. And Sakura felt like his words were meant for her and her alone.

"Demons…they're impurities in the world, not these people! These people have never done anything but their jobs! Their blood is the same as yours." He looked to Sakura, but she wouldn't look at him. She merely slumped to the ground, leaning against the rough wall. She let it scratch uncomfortably down her back as she slid down. She landed in a small heap there, and refused to look at anyone.

She felt…disgusting.

She merely wrapped her arms around herself, resting her forehead against her knees. She wanted Naruto to yell at her. His soft rejection hurt worse. He probably didn't even want to look at her now. _She_ didn't want to look at herself.

But…how could someone just drop an entire lifetime of belief in a few minutes? It wasn't possible. Her entire life she'd been told they were unclean. She had been told she was above them, that she should never associate with them. That they were diseased.

And it hurt, because she felt as if it was a lie, but at the same time, she couldn't get herself to stand and apologize. Not now…not when she felt like this.

Her world was crumbling.

Dammit, why did this have to happen in the first place? She shouldn't even _be_ here. She should be at home at the Haruno home, teasing her elder cousins and giggling over boys with Ino and Hinata. This…this wasn't _fair_.

Her eyes snapped open.

"_It isn't fair…for people to judge others because of how they were born."_

That was what Naruto had said only moments before. And he was right…it wasn't fair. She had always wanted people to stop judging her, to stop seeing her as just a woman and not the head of the Haruno Clan. It was the same, in a twisted way.

Why was she so shallow? Why was she such a hypocrite?

That was when the hinin man walked back inside, followed by an old woman who was holding a large pack in her hands.

"She will lead you through the tunnels. Here is a bit of food for the road." The man croaked out, his throat sounding particularly hoarse. Kakashi took the pack from him wordlessly.

"Thank you for your help." He spoke softly.

"It was nothing. We would do anything to protect the hogosha."

Sakura felt his words like a physical blow. Here these people thought she was their savoir…and all she had done was insult them. She merely pulled herself into a standing position, head still bowed. She knew the others were watching her, but she said nothing. She merely took a step forward.

"Lead the way." It was a soft whisper, followed by a nod of acknowledgement towards the elderly woman who was their guide.

No one moved for a few seconds, before the woman gave her own nod and held up her lantern, bathing the area in front of them in a soft golden glow, piercing through the darkness.

"Sakura-chan—" Naruto began, but Sakura stopped him with a shake of her head.

Was he worried he had hurt her feelings? She almost gave a laugh. He was such an idiot sometimes. She deserved to be hurt. It was a slap in the face, this revelation, but it was a much needed one. She was learning slowly about this world…learning that it was not perfect and peaceful as she had always been led to believe.

She couldn't believe in anything she had once known about the world. It was, most likely, a beautiful lie to cover the filthy truth. Because she was a woman…and a woman should never know anything about the hardships of the world, right?

The elderly woman tripped suddenly, as racking coughs seized her small frame. Before she fell, however, Sakura caught her and slowly helped her stand. The others watched in surprised shock. Sakura merely smiled hesitantly down at the woman, "Are you alright?"

The woman nodded, giving her own smile before she stood and continued leading the way. Sakura didn't move, merely watched the woman go. The others continued walking, but she saw the confusion in their eyes as they passed.

She stared down at her hands, and noticed there was nothing different about them. They were the same hands she'd had moments ago. Touching that woman…it had done nothing to her. She was not unclean. She was just a kind, elderly woman.

She bent each finger, before take a deep breath and exhaling quickly. Now was not the time. She would reevaluate herself later.

Sai was the last to walk past her, Naruto only a foot ahead of him.

As he did so, she whispered softly, "I'm sorry. I was wrong so…please forgive me." And then she was gone, heading down the hidden passageway, disappearing into the darkness ahead of them, leaving a bewildered Naruto and an unreadable Sai behind.

* * *

Travelling the next morning was uneventful. They began in silence, the forest around them just waking up from its slumber. The crickets were fading into silence, and birds were twittering softly above their heads.

After the woman had led them out of the city they'd gone a few miles before setting up their camp the night before.

Sakura let out a small sigh. She hadn't gotten much sleep. She'd spent most of the time realizing that she was a spoiled, ignorant little girl who had no right to be anyone's savoir. It hurt a little, because she had always believed she was a good person and realized that deep down she wasn't as good as she'd thought. And at the same time, she'd been overcome with a determination to _prove herself_. She wanted to prove that she could.

She didn't want their trust in her to be unfounded.

And that was the reason for her parting actions the night before and why the others were still so silent.

"_This is the exit. It will take you past the wall's guard tower to the west of the city." The woman wheezed. She seemed out of breath, and Sakura had a sinking suspicion the woman had consumption. It was in the way she had needed to stop to catch her breath and coughed horribly throughout the trip. And Sakura had seen her put her hand to her mouth and wipe something away once or twice._

"_Thank you." Kakashi said again, bowing to her. The others did the same, until only Sakura remained._

_There was a moment of awkward silence, before Sakura threw herself down at the woman's feet, forehead brushing against the dirt, tears filling her eyes. She heard someone give a small gasp of surprise behind her and supposed it was Naruto, but paid it no attention. _

"_Thank you so much. Please, accept my humblest apologies for the trouble that my party and I may have caused you." _And for my assumptions on your character.

_And then the woman was bending down beside her, hurriedly trying to get her to stand. "Hogosha-sama! Please do not bow."_

"_No." Sakura shook her head, remaining where she was, breathing in the scent of dirt. "I am your servant. The hogosha is the servant of the people. It is my duty to protect you and your aid was much needed. Thank you."_

_Then she looked up into the woman's eyes, her own filled with tears._

"_There is nothing to apologize for." The woman's voice suddenly didn't seem quite so raspy. She held out her hand and Sakura took it hesitantly. She was lifted to her feet, but before she left, she grabbed the frail old woman's hand in both of hers. She bent her head and closed her eyes._

I wish there was something I could do for this woman. Something to help her. She has been so kind to me. I only wish to repay that kindness. I was so wrong about these people…

_She felt a strange tugging sensation throughout her body, before she opened her eyes and stared down at the woman, who seemed pale and shocked. Sakura's brow furrowed. She'd thought the woman was old, but now as she looked at her…she realized she wasn't old at all. A harsh life and the darkness of the tunnels had aged her features._

_She was no more than twenty five, surely._

"_May your ways always be blessed, hogosha-sama."_

"_Thank you." Sakura whispered again, before she finally let go of the woman's hand, feeling slightly lightheaded. She didn't look back, nor did she look at her traveling companions as she began walking down the dirt path into the forest._

"Yamato-san." Sakura finally murmured, breaking the silence to look at the brunette. "There has been something I wished to ask you since we last spoke."

"Oh?" Yamato blinked. "What is it?"

"You said that if I had been the Uchiha…everything would have been different. What does that mean?"

Yamato remained silent for a moment. "If…if you were the Uchiha child…I would have done all I could to kill you."

Sakura tensed. "What?"

"Which child?" Naruto suddenly cut in, eyes narrowed.

"The eldest, the murderer." Yamato raised an eyebrow at Naruto's outburst. "The _hogosha_, not the young traitor."

"He's not a traitor!" Naruto yelled back, and Sakura saw anger fill his eyes.

"Naruto?" She whispered worriedly.

"Naruto." Kakashi's own voice deflated the young kitsune all at once. "Whatever your relation with Uchiha Sasuke is or was, he is currently a traitor to Konoha. He betrayed the Bushido code. For all intents and purposes, he is dead to Konoha. And if he returns, he will be forced to commit seppuku."

"You can't—" Naruto sputtered, but Sakura placed a hand on his arm. "Naruto…now is not the time…"

"Sasuke isn't like that." Naruto bit out. "He has his reasons. I don't think he did the right thing but…he's my best friend! There's no way I'm going to let that stupid teme get himself killed!"

"You're his friend?" Sakura asked in surprise. "Do you know where he is?"

"He left a long time ago. I haven't talked to him since then. I was…looking for him when Akumu forced me into his service." Naruto's tone told Sakura that prying any further was unwelcome. Instead, she decided to change the subject a bit.

"So Uchiha Itachi was the hogosha…and he's the possessor of the 'sharingan' correct?" She looked to Kakashi for answers.

Kakashi nodded. "Itachi, as the hogosha, is the only Uchiha with full control over the Sharingan. But…"

"But?"

"When I trained Sasuke, and as I am sure Naruto noticed, Sasuke's control over the Sharingan is amazing as well."

"But that shouldn't be possible. Only the hogosha can control the Sharingan completely, right?" Sakura asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. That had been what Kakashi had told her, after all. She didn't notice the way Yamato's eyes drifted to Kakashi's eye-patch and away again.

Kakashi nodded. "That's true. And there can only be one hogosha in each family at a time."

"Then how…?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't know. Every Uchiha is born with the ability to use the Sharingan to some extent—more like, it comes and goes when they feel strong emotions. Just like how all Haruno are good at reading people, and all Senju clan members are a bit stronger than normal. But for Sasuke to be able to activate the Sharingan at will and weild it…that is something I do not understand."

Sakura bit her lip. "Do you think it is possible that the hogosha isn't just the first born?"

"It doesn't work that way, Sakura."

"But…"

"The first born has the strongest blood. They are the culmination of the powers of their clan." Yamato supplied.

"Well, you always said that the Uchiha Clan were thought to be the most powerful. Perhaps that is why. Maybe there was too much power and it bled over into the second child as well." Sakura shrugged, her tone soft. "But it seems strange…if the Uchiha are so powerful, why were the other clans needed at all?"

"Each clan has its weaknesses and strengths." Kakashi amended. "I already told you that with the Uchiha's power…they are destined to fall to insanity. It is their curse."

"Curse?"

"The weaknesses of the three clans. For all their abilities…the hogosha are all destine to fall to the curse of their clan."

"Each clan has one?" Naruto cut in, looking interested and worried at the same time. "But…I won't let Sasuke-teme go insane!"

"He's not the hogosha." Yamato sighed. "So don't worry, Naruto."

"So the Uchiha clan's curse is insanity…what of the Senju clan?"

"They are destined to lose the people most precious to them." Kakashi murmured. "Their life is an isolated one. That is the reason that Tsunade became a traveler. She has already suffered the death of her young brother Nawaki and her lover Dan."

Sakura swallowed, her throat dry. She wanted to ask..but couldn't, so continued walking. Naruto, the braver of the two, finally turned to Kakashi and Yamato.

"What…is the Haruno Clan's curse?"

"Another time, perhaps." Was all Kakashi said, and their conversation faded into tense silence.

* * *

As night neared, Sakura noticed that something was wrong with the direction of their route. They'd chosen a strange, overgrown path in the forest earlier in the afternoon and had been following it for the remainder of the day.

Now, as the sky darkened and she had a hard time seeing Kakashi at the head of their traveling group, she decided that an explanation was needed.

"Aren't we headed to the Doshaburi(1) Shrine in Rain?" Sakura asked, confusion lacing her words. "If we want to go to Rain, the fastest way would be east, through the pass." She pointed up at the large mountains looming in the distance.

"We can't go that way."

"Hm?"

"My informant in Shimabara told me that there is an ambush waiting us there. Several demons at Takumi no Sato(2) at the mouth of the pass."

"An ambush?"

"They're going to destroy the town completely!" Naruto yelled out. "They'll kill everyone."

"Sakura is more important than that town, Naruto." Yamato broke in, his gaze serious. "If she gets captured, it would ruin any chances of killing Akumu."

"But people's lives are at stake!"

"It's my job, isn't it?" Sakura finally cut in, silencing them all. "That's why I'm a hogosha! I'm supposed to protect others from demons. If I can't protect one little town than I don't deserve to be called a hogosha."

"You can't—"

"It's my duty!"

"Sakura." Kakashi cut in, his voice low. "There won't be any survivors by the time you reach Takumi no Sato."

"What…?"

"The information is days old. They'll be attacking tomorrow morning. There is no way you'd get there in time. It's hopeless. The best thing you can do for those people is avenge their deaths by killing Akumu. To do that, we need to get you to the Doshaburi Shrine for extensive training, where you will be _safe_."

"But—"

"The misson—_your_ mission, comes before all else." Kakashi's voice was hard, implacable.

"Sakura-chan is right! You…do you really think that a mission is more important than innocent lives!?" Naruto pointed a finger accusingly at Kakashi. "I can't believe you!"

"Naruto, you don't understand the ways of war, you _or_ Sakura." Yamato murmured. "Kakashi is trying to do what is best for the _collective_. This is the reality of war. People will die."

"But it doesn't have to be that way! We can save them—I can get there by tomorrow!" Naruto finally yelled. "I can transform and—"

Sakura's eyes widened. Transform? Wait, he _was_ a fox demon, or at least half. That meant he would have a form that was…less human than this one. Would he be able to make it by tomorrow morning? If he could…

"You can't go alone. That would be suicidal. And you promised that you would protect Sakura. If you go now, we'll have to kill you." Kakashi cut in, because he still didn't trust the little kitsune completely. He had been sent by Akumu to track down and kill Sakura in the first place. Who was to say he wouldn't go through with his plans later? Besides, he would be infinitely stronger in his kitsune form, which would be a threat to all of them. What if he lost control and went berserk?

"We're setting up camp here." Kakashi finally ordered, ignoring the tense silence and the glares that Sakura and Naruto were giving him. Sai's face was carefully blank, as always.

"Fine." Naruto whispered, but they could tell he was trying to hold back tears. Sakura's own head was bowed, and she merely went over to a side of the clearing and leaned down against a tree.

"We'll being practicing later tonight." Kakashi called after her. "With both Yamato and I as your instructors it should go by quicker than I had originally planned—"

"No."

They all turned to her, and saw her softly trembling form as she tried to hold back her own tears. "I won't train tonight. I don't feel well." And then she pulled her cloak around her body and laid down, her back to them, staring at the tree trunk.

"Naruto, go get firewood. Sai, help Yamato scout out the perimeter." Kakashi ordered blandly as he began to take some of the food the hinin had given them out of their extra pack.

No one said anything as they did as they were told.

* * *

The others had all drifted to sleep, leaving Sakura, Sai, and Naruto awake.

Naruto and Sai were keeping watch. Sakura, however, merely stared into the slowly dying flames of their fire.

She was along in the small clearing except for Kakashi and Yamato, who were sleeping. Sai and Naruto had spread out into the forest perimeter around their camp to guard it.

She could only stare into the hot coals.

She had to do something..she knew she did. She couldn't let those villagers die! It was her fault they were being killed in the first place. Guilt ate at her, a beast gnawing inside her chest that made her stomach ache.

She merely pulled her cloak tighter around her body, clenching her eyes shut as tears ran down her cheeks. Why was she so useless?

"Why are you crying?"

Her eyes shot open in shock, as a voice she had longed to hear—had dreamed of many nights—filled her ears. She looked quickly, and let out a choked sob at the figure standing on the other side of the fire.

"…otousan…" She whispered, but she knew something was wrong. His body and the smoke from the fire seemed to be one in the same, and he was deathly pale, not the robust tan that she was used to. His eyes were dead, but not the glossy eyes of a corpse. But neither were they bright and cheerful and laughing as she remembered.

"Enenra(3)." She finally bit out, swallowing both her shock and disappointment. For a moment…she had thought it was truly her father.

The smoke spirit merely nodded. "I took this form because you were comfortable with it."

"What do you want with me?" Sakura contemplated waking up Yamato and Kakashi. If this demon was here to try and attack her…but enenra were not violent beings. What could its purpose here be?

"I wanted to speak with you." The spirit conceded. "You are a hogosha, one of the three that are meant to destroy Akumu once and for all. I wanted to see if you were worth it."

"Worth what?"

"All the death that is to come. I want to know if I can put my faith in you. I have decided I can." And the smoke began to become ephemeral once more.

"But—how do you know if you can put your faith in me? I don't understand!"

"You have spoken with me. That is enough."

Sakura's eyes widened, even as the spirit dissapeared as the coals finally crumbled to ash. She…had spoken with an enenra.

"Sakura-chan?"

Sakura almost jumped as she heard Naruto's voice beside her. She turned to him abruptly. "Naruto! Don't scare people like that!" It was a quiet whisper, but a harsh one.

He grinned sheepishly at her. "Sorry." Then his gaze became serious. "Sakura-chan…have you decided?"

Sakura swallowed, and there was a moment of silence before she gave a curt nod. "Yes. Come on Naruto. Let's go to Takumo no Sato. Those people need us."

Naruto gave her a bright grin. "Right!" He grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the darkness of the forest. Sakura gave a small sigh, before grabbing one of the traveling packs as they went. There was no way she was going to be caught off-guard and unprepared. But, with Shoki at her side and Naruto leading the way, she didn't feel worried at all.

Only filled with the determination to live up to the expectations of all of those around her. They were counting on her. She couldn't let them down.

"Alright Sakura-chan. Stand right there, ok?" Naruto asked softly, almost hesitantly. Sakura nodded, taking a few steps back.

She saw Naruto stiffen, taking in a deep breath. His entire body contorted, and she saw his face became distorted with pain—and then darkness assailed her, and she let out a gasp. It was strange, because she knew she hadn't fallen unconscious. But instead of a flash of light, the darkness had merely seemed to shroud her vision for a moment.

And then, standing in front of her…was a large, golden-furred fox. It was twice the size of a human, and as she walked up to it—to _Naruto_—she saw that it came up to just below her chest. She looked at him hestitantly, reaching out to touch his fur, before she took a deep breath and vaulted herself onto his back.

This felt strange—and completely surreal as he leapt into the forest the moment she had situated herself comfortably. Before the night when Kakashi had come to her home…she had not believed in demons. She had never thought she'd be sent to fight them or that one day she would be _riding on the back of a kitsune_. But strangely enough, at the moment, it all seemed to fit.

She felt as if she belonged here. Something in her chest stirred as they raced through the trees at inhuman speed.

This lifestyle…this was what she had been born to do.

* * *

The smell of smoke and death reached them before they broke from the coverage of the trees. Sakura clutched Naruto's fur beneath her hands as he raced up a crooked cliff-side path, to keep them from detection a moment longer. But they were no longer hidden in the trees. So while it was doubtful anyone would look up here for them, they were still left in the open.

She heard a growl rumble from deep within Naruto's chest as the village came into view far beneath them and Sakura let out a small choked gasp.

This…wasn't possible…

The attack had already begun.

Screams erupted from the air and Sakura almost reached up her hands to clasp them to her ears, as she would have done as a young child. But she merely held tighter to the kitsune beneath her, paling in horror at the sight.

"What…are those…?" She whispered more to herself than anyone else. She didn't know the type of demon—she was too far away to sense anything save for the overwhelming darkness and coppery tang that filled her mouth in the presence of these creatures.

She didn't hear Naruto's response, only heard his unearthly growl as he leapt into action, bounding down the cliff side with frightening speed.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled out in warning. They'd never catch them by surprise if he just ran into the village like this! She could barely keep her grip at all, and she felt Shoki vibrating softly against her hip, ready for action in the presence of so many demons.

The screams continued.

The smoke was acrid, and she let out a cough, even as Naruto leapt over a large boulder. She tightened her legs around his sides, burying her face in his fur to block out the smoke.

She heard a soft whistling sound and her eyes widened in shock as her head shot up. "Naruto, look out!"

The entire area exploded.

Sakura let out a cry as the explosion ripped her from Naruto's back. She went flying through the air, seeing him plummet down the cliff, rolling along boulders and rockes. He snapped thought a tree and kept going.

Crimson coated his golden fur.

She didn't have much time to think on it, however, as her side hit a tree limb. Her breath was knocked out of her and she let out a choked gasp, grabbing onto the limb. Her feet scrambled for a foothold as she held on for dear life. She finally managed to secure herself and stayed for a moment, gasping for much needed air.

Her vision swam from the pain in her side before she managed to look down the cliff. But Naruto's hulking form was not lying next to the boulder it had been before.

"Dammit…where did he go?" She gasped out, before taking a deep breath—and letting go of the branch. She slid down the slick side of the cliff, bracing herself for the impact as she landed at the bottom in a crouch. There was a twinge in her right ankle but it wasn't enough to stop her as she broke into a run.

Someone was attacking them, the demons from the village most likely. She had to go and protect as many people as she could! Her entire body shook with adrenaline. She couldn't let her conscience get to her this time. She had to remember…these were demons, not men.

She had to kill without mercy and find Naruto as soon as possible.

She reached the first house and ducked behind it, pressing against the wall. The sounds of screams permeated the air. She gritted her teeth, before taking a deep breath and rushing around the corner. She unsheathed Shoki in one movement, slicing through the stomach of the demon in front of her in the next. It let out an unearthly wail, and smoke rose from the wound her blade had unflicted.

She did not stop to stare at the dark liquid blooming from the thing's chest. She merely pivoted on her foot and slammed Shoki into the chest of the second demon who had come up behind her.

These were not powerful demons. She could tell already, with their slowed movements. Their only strengths were their brute strength, something that Sakura was long used to fighting against.

_I'll do this…I can do this!_ She chanted to herself as she kicked the second demon off of her blade, swallowing the bile that filled her mouth. _I have to protect these people…that is my duty! I won't fail!_

_Oh god…the bodies…_ her body felt weak as she ran down the street and into the main square of the village. She took a step back, trying to keep from slumping to the ground in a faint. This…this was…

Indescribable.

There were so many bodies…

She let out a small sob, before emptying her stomach on the bloodied ground in front of her.

They were eating them. The demons were _eating them_. She felt fury and rage and disgust well inside of her, and she couldn't help but grit her teeth as she held Shoki tightly with hands that shook.

These demons…they were weak…but to attack unarmed civilians…they would never be able to defend themselves! And there were so many…this type of demon's strength lay in numbers, not abilities. They were like a swarm of locust.

And as she heard the soft crunching of bones, she did something unexcusably stupid. She let her rage take over, even if for a moment.

It became a blur, as she lunged forward with a battle cry.

Shoki stabbed through the neck of the demon closest to her. He didn't even have a chance to scream a warning. The second was decapitated just as quickly. The third was smarter than the first two. It dragged its claws along her arm before she had a chance to plunge her sword through its chest.

Tears coursed down her face, and she knew she was sobbing as she fought. She was covered in blood and whatever it was that flowed through a demon's veins. Her arm throbbed, and she knew she had to clean it soon or it would become infected.

She merely stumbled backwards, vision blurred with tears.

This was so wrong…everything…why would something like this be allowed to happen!?

Her eyes widened as she heard a loud growl behind her and she let out a gasp, whirling around. Not fast enough…the demon was inside her guard, and the dagger was just below her ribcage. She called herself a million different kinds of idiot, cursed herself for her innatentiveness. She was going to die here…be killed by some weak demon because she'd let her emotions get the better of her.

And then a giant fox slammed into the demon and tackled it to the ground, ripping out its throat with one swipe of its claws.

"Naruto!" Sakura let out a choked gasp, relief and embarrassment evident in her voice. She took a step towards him, before stopping. "Naruto…are there…any survivors?"

His look was carefully blank, but he merely turned in the direction he had come from. Sakura stiffened. Coming from the homes and down the streets were more demons than she could count. Where…where were they coming from?

Naruto merely took a protective stance in front of her and let out a menacing growl in the direction of the other demons. Sakura took a step back, giving him more room. That was when she heard a small cry and turned to see a young girl stumble out of one of the nearby huts.

She was a dark-haired child, with wide, frightened eyes and a blood covered dress. Sakura moved at the same time Naruto did, both lunging in different directions. Naruto went for the demons, and Sakura ran to the young girl, catching her as she fell forward into her arms.

She had to get her out of this area and then go back to help Naruto fight off the demons! She grabbed the girl in her arms and ran into the hut the girl had come out of. She needed to hide her here and then return to Naruto…

But the little girl merely clutched her gi in fear, not letting her leave as Sakura knelt on the ground.

There was so much blood…who could have done this? The little girls breathing was labored, and she was sobbing.

"It hurts…it hurts so bad."

"I'm sorry." Sakura whispered, feeling the tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry." And she knew at this moment…that there was no hope for this young child, the only survivor of the slaughter…wasn't a survivor at all.

She and Naruto had still failed.

"I'm…scared…"

"It's ok." Sakura felt the little girl still in her arms. "It's ok…it's ok, don't worry." And then she slowly placed the girl's body on the ground, placing her folded arms over her chest and closed her eyes.

Sakura would have liked to stay to bury the girl's body and see to her properly, but she knew that she was in danger at the moment. She needed to go help Naruto and the two needed to escape. She was stuck in enemy territory and she could feel demons all around her, their presences subtle but strong enough that she could identify them.

She and Naruto needed to head to the Doshaburi temple. Kakashi had said that if anything were to happen she needed to get there as quickly as possible. They would be safe there. They couldn't backtrack to find Kakashi and the others now, or they'd lead the demons to them.

She let out a small gasp, as a presence appeared behind her, in the open doorway of the hut.

She whirled around, Shoki at hand, and stopped. Jade met crimson.

"…you're…a hogosha…"

"Hn."

* * *

**(A\n: The chapter is finished! Yes, this is around the third version of this chapter that I've written, so that's why it took so long. There were so many ideas. :D and part was inspired by watching Princess Mononoke last night…XD Anyway…as I've said, I'm trying my hardest to keep all the characters as in-character as possible. That is the reason for Sakura's behavior in the beginning with the hinin.**

**In the beginning of the Naruto series, Sakura believed what her parents told her about Naruto and she thought he was just annoying, etc…she always believed what everyone else wanted her to. But Sakura is also a strong character in that she LEARNS FROM HER MISTAKES and doesn't let her pride get in the way of admitting she was wrong. That's what I love about her. :) I hope I portrayed that well. **

**Now…what could possibly happen in the next chapter? There isn't a preview this time around, unfortunately. I'm too busy trying to update all of my stories. :) Anyway…I hope you guys enjoyed it!**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**

(1)Doshaburi: downpour

(2)Takumi no Sato: Takumi village (匠の里, Takumi no Sato, literally "Village of Craftsman") resides in an unknown country. It was founded approximately one hundred years ago by a man named Seimei. Takumi is known for its skills in making weaponry, many of which are sold to the villages of the world.

As you guys can guess…this is not going to be good at all. :D The fact that a village that is skilled in weaponry has just been destroyed by demons…curious isn't it?

(3)Enenra: A **enenra** (煙々羅, _**enenra**_**?** lit. "lightweight-fabric smoke") is a yōkai, or Japanese monster, that is comprised of smoke. It resides in bonfires and, when it emerges, it takes the form of a human. It is said that an enenra can only be seen by the pure of heart.

I thought the fact that it can only be seen by the pure of heart was a nice twist. That was the reason for the enenra's words to Sakura. It said that the reason it could put its faith in Sakura was for the sole reason that they were talking with one another. The enenra knew this meant she had a pure heart. :D


	9. Chapter 8: Daitengu

**(A\N: Hm...I said I was going to update Shisui but I was struck with inspiration for this story instead. Enjoy! )**

* * *

_She and Naruto needed to head to the Doshaburi temple. Kakashi had said that if anything were to happen she needed to get there as quickly as possible. They would be safe there. They couldn't backtrack to find Kakashi and the others now, or they'd lead the demons to them. _

_She let out a small gasp, as a presence appeared behind her, in the open doorway of the hut._

_She whirled around, Shoki at hand, and stopped. Jade met crimson._

"…_you're…a hogosha…"_

"_Hn."_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Daitengu**

* * *

Sakura took an instinctive step backwards. The man radiated a deadly power and the air of the little hut seemed to disappear, making it muggy and tense. She swallowed, her eyes never leaving the tall form in front of her.

As she looked into his crimson eyes she realized that he was and Uchiha, and that she shouldn't be looking directly into the infamous 'Sharingan'. But she was already lost in crimson.

This was not Uchiha Sasuke, the runaway 'traitor' that was Naruto's best friend. This was the hogosha of the Uchiha Clan.

She was standing five feet away from Uchiha Itachi.

The clan murderer.

"You seem rather far from Konoha…hogosha Haruno-san."

Sakura shivered slightly at the sound of his voice. It was devoid of all emotion. If death had a voice—and she suspected shinigami did at least—she guessed it would sound like his. She felt her entire body tremble, and her legs threatened to give out on her. He knew who she was...

Why was she so afraid? She had faced down demons without flinching—instinct had always taken over, even if she was frightened out of her mind. So what…was the problem now? She wondered if this was how she would feel if she fought Akumu. This overwhelming fear…he was so _powerful_ and she was so _weak_ compared to him.

It scared her, because if she could not even face this man, she would never be able to fight the epitome of fear itself.

She tried to speak, tried to yell back at him that she wasn't frightened—even if it was a horrible lie—but her voice would not work. The sounds would not leave her throat. She reached her hand and touched Shoki's hilt. The blade was silent. There was no pleasant hum. It was as if…Shoki's power were obsolete in the presence of this man.

The sounds of screams outside continued, but she heard them as if through water. They were muffled, distorted, as she continued to stare into crimson eyes.

_Snap out of it, snap out of it! You have to do something!_

He took a step towards her and she remained frozen, trembling like a newborn kitten.

_Move move move move MOVE!_

"To not be able to save even one child in this village…you truly are a pathetic guardian."

She knew that. She'd known that from the beginning. But she had never been taught before this, never been told her role. How could she save anyone, as weak as she was?

There was no point.

She was…useless…

_You…are HOPE!_

She blinked, before her eyes narrowed slightly.

_I am…a hogosha!_

And she lunged.

He anticipated her movement, and even as she unsheathed Shoki, it merely met his own blade with a soft clang of metal on metal. She growled deep in her throat, twisting around him, getting behind him to slash at his exposed back.

Pain erupted in her stomach and she let out a gasp. He'd punched her in the stomach, sending her rolling across the dirt covered floor. She heard the soft clatter of Shoki falling from her fingers onto the floor beside her.

No…she'd let go of her weapon! What kind of swordsman was she? She saw feet enter her line of vision, before the man knelt, his black traveling cloak pooling around him. He reached down and picked up her sword.

"Get…you hands…off of…my blade…" She gasped out, coughing up a mouthful of blood mixed with saliva. The taste was coppery and sharp.

"A finely crafted weapon."

Sakura bit her lip and the felt the skin break beneath her teeth. She ignored it, as tears sprung to her eyes. What good was she? This man…he was so much more skilled than her. Her entire body ached from the hit he'd bestowed—and he didn't seem affected at all, nor threatened by her.

She reached down and pressed a hand to her stomach to try and gauge the damage done. Had he broken a rib? It was getting hard to breathe…

And then she was being lifted up by the edge of her gi, and her body was limp. He held her up, feet skimming the ground, with only one hand, and he didn't seem fazed at all. He surveyed her through half-lidded eyes. And suddenly something flickered there, as her arms hung limp to her side and her full lips opened to cough.

"You…are a woman."

She did the only thing she could do, at the scorn and disgust in his voice.

She spat.

Crimson-colored phlegm splattered across his cheek, and she watched his eyes widen slightly at the act. It was such a contrast to his perfect, unblemished skin. She reveled in the fact that she had marred him, even if he could wipe it away.

And wipe it away he did. He lifted up his other arm, wiping the spit from his face with a look of disgust. That was his mistake. When he'd lifted his hand, he'd left part of his chest exposed. She reached into the folds of her gi and brought out her tantō in one swift movement, leaning all of her weight forward with a battle cry—a harsh, pained sound as the air pushed past her burning, pain-filled lungs—and slammed the blade beneath his arm, digging it into the side of his chest.

They fell, and she landed atop him with a pained whimper before rolling to the side, grabbing Shoki and stumbling to her feet, even as the air in her chest burned and every breath caused knives of pain to shoot through her body.

And that was when the side of the hut was torn down. She let out a frightened cry, before the sight of Naruto in all of his demon glory appeared. He growled menacingly, before picking her up by her gi—as Itachi had done moments before—slinging her onto his back. She grabbed onto his fur desperately, Shoki bumping wildly against her hip as Naruto lunged to the right.

She coughed, and blood speckled his golden fur. She looked back once, to see the roof of the hut collapse, but then she turned forward, at the destruction that surrounded them as Naruto bounded through the village, passing by corpses of humans and demons alike.

She shut her eyes, and finally let the tears flow. She sobbed into his fur as he raced through the forest. She was thankful he couldn't speak to her in this form. If he had asked what was wrong…she didn't know quite how she would have responded.

Everything, she supposed.

Because everything was the truth.

* * *

BAM!

Sai flinched slightly as his back met with the bark of the tree. He could feel the bark digging into his skin through his black shinobi outfit. His face remained emotionless however. Pain was not something new to him.

"Where are they?" Kakashi's voice was cold and deadly.

Sai said nothing.

"You were on watch!" Yamato snapped out angrily. "You would have seen them leave."

He had, but he wouldn't tell them that. He had seen them leave and he had known…that there was nothing he could do to stop them, nor nothing he would have wanted to do.

This was their mission—and his respect for missions ran above his own survival instinct. Haruno Sakura was the hogosha and her job was to protect the innocent from demons. Uzumaki Naruto's mission was the prove himself to the world—both human and demon alike.

Who was he to interfere with their duties?

A small part of him told him that he should have gone with them, to protect them. Because they were both idiots—the half breed especially—and they were bound to get themselves killed. But that…was part of his own mission.

To eliminate the hogosha if she became a threat to his master's plans.

And she was a threat, a very large one.

She was a threat…because she was making him doubt himself. It unnerved him that someone—a weak little _girl_ with ridiculous pink hair—could make him feel when years of training had taught him to let go of his emotions.

"When did they leave?" Kakashi's voice was even.

Still nothing. Sai swore he would not speak.

The sound of something pushing through the forest stopped the interrogation. The smell of a demon filled their noses, as well as the smell of blood. Sai was dropped, and as he slumped to the ground he reached behind him for his knife.

Kakashi's hand was on his staff, and Yamato's sword was ready to be unsheathed.

Then a large hulking form crashed through the trees into the clearing and they all stiffened at the sight in surprise. A large golden fox slumped to the ground in exhaustion, his fur matted with blood, and as he did so, the figure lying on his back rolled to the ground a few feet away.

"Sakura!" Kakashi was beside her in an instant, picking her up and heading towards the center of their camp. He placed her on the grass and Yamato knelt as well. Sai stood a few feet away, looking down at her slowly rising chest and wondered why his chest hurt at the sight of her in pain.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

"…sensei…?" She managed to cough out in a dry, raspy voice.

"Sakura, what happened?"

"Is Naruto ok…?"

All three turned to see the large fox lift its head and give a small, comforting noise, almost like a purr. He was fine, just tired. There was a cut on his front leg that would need to be bandaged later.

"Where are you injured, Sakura?" Yamato asked as he looked at the blood dribbling from her mouth. She shook her head as she tried to sit up, falling back down with a cry. She clutched her stomach. "Punched…think a few ribs…are broken…"

Yamato pushed open her gi, leaving her chest in nothing but its tight bandages. He pressed his hands along her chest and abdomen, and she cried out when his fingers ghosted over certain spots.

"No ribs are broken, though some are bruised, I think." Yamato finally spoke. "Your chest bandages were so tight, they helped."

Sakura gave a wry smile. "Lucky for me I guess."

"Who punched you, Sakura?" Kakashi finally asked, as Yamato began to tie the front of Sakura's gi back up.

Sakura began drifting back into unconscious, but she managed to answer his question before she blacked out.

"Uchiha…Itachi…"

* * *

Uchiha Itachi pushed the flimsy, thatched roof off of him as he sat up. Pain erupted in his side, but it was a throb that was fading quickly. He looked down to see that there was no blood. That was certainly…a surprise.

He saw the hole that had been made in his cloak by the tanto as it had sliced through. He slipped the cloak off, leaving himself in his normal gi and hakama. The cut went through that as well. And that was when he gave a small smirk at the sight of the bent, medal medallion hanging from his neck, the Uchiha symbol glaring up at him in all its glory.

The metal had deflected the blade. The clan that he had killed and hated...the symbol of an arrogant people...had saved him when he had been too arrogant to believe a young girl could be a threat. But his chest and arm were still sore. The wind had been knocked out of him, and it had bruised harshly. He'd also hit the back of his head when he'd fallen, temporarily disorienting him.

He berated himself for his arrogance. He should have known not to underestimate an opponent, even a pink-haired slip of a woman. He reached down to pick up the tanto she had left behind in her haste and his eyes ghosted over the hilt.

It was intricately designed, but what was most surprising was the family crest embrazened on the end of the hilt. Hatake.

So…he knew that the girl could not have killed the infamous copycat samurai, so that meant that either someone else had killed him and she'd taken this weapon or he had given it to her willingly. The first idea seemed preposterous, and he hadn't heard any news of the older man's death.

So Hatake Kakashi had given his prized tanto to this young girl…she was becoming more intriguing by the second. He would admit he was rather impressed with her fighting skills. While they were not on par with his own, she was still skilled enough to be a threat to most.

And she'd come up with a counterattack quickly and efficiently, catching him off guard. _No one_ surprised Uchiha Itachi.

Yes, intriguing indeed.

As he stared down at the tanto, all he could see was soft rosette hair and brilliant green eyes glaring at him in defiance. He slowly stood, brushing off straw and dust and picking up his cloak, slinging it back over his shoulders.

He tucked the tanto gently into his sleeve, fingers brushing against the hilt. A keepsake, from his first encounter with a woman he knew would soon be known by many. He smirked. He enjoyed enigmas. They kept his mind sharp. He was drawn to mystery and power…and this young girl held both, whether she knew it or not.

She had not utilized her strengths yet, but when she did…he wondered just how dangerous she would become.

"There you are, Itachi."

Itachi turned his head slightly to watch the hulking man approach him. The demon stopped a few feet away, surveying the entire village and gave a derisive snort. His blue skin glistened in the light, and his pitch black eyes looked at the bloated corpses in disdain. "It looks like someone got here before we did, eh?"

"Hn."

Hoshigaki Kisame merely shrugged at his partner's behavior. It was something he was very used to. He merely shouldered his large sword. "I sensed another of your kind here earlier, along with a halfbreed." He eyed the way Itachi grimaced as he rolled his shoulder. "Did you meet up with them?"

"I didn't see the halfbreed." Itachi commented coolly.

"And the hogosha?" The gangi-kozo (1) asked as they began walking out of the village, stepping carelessly over the corpses of demon and villager alike.

"We fought." Itachi answered back, before looking at the hat that Kisame held out to him. He hesitated for but a moment before grabbing it and placing it on his head. The kasa fit well, and the bell on its end chimed as they continued moving.

"And is he still alive?"

"She is still very much alive." _And I intend to keep her that way._

* * *

"Ne, Uchiha-san…" Hanabi frowned deeply as they walked. She was trying her hardest not to complain, really she was. But they'd been walking for _ages_. She merely continued to follow him, waiting for him to speak.

"What is it?"

The jagged cliff side path they were taking was slowly winding down the mountain. Hanabi had to make sure to watch her steps. She kicked a pebble and it fell from the ledge, the sound echoing. She leaned over slightly to see it bounce down the side of the cliff. She swallowed. That…was a long way to fall.

"I heard that Takumi no Sato was the village that made the great weapons of the hogosha. Is that true?"

"How do you know about the hogosha at all?" Sasuke snapped irritably. He was in no mood to answer her questions. He was tired and hungry, and the anticipation of meeting up with Itachi after so long was eating away at him.

"My father told me stories about the hogosha…and the eight great samurai who killed Akumu." Hanabi answered back with a smile.

"They didn't kill him." Sasuke muttered.

"Hm?"

"Akumu isn't dead."

"Oh…" Hanabi trailed off, before she began speaking again, holding onto the back of his hakama as they rounded a thin ledge. "But why are we going there, Uchiha-san? Do you need another weapon? Do the great swordsmiths still live there?"

Sasuke snorted. It was true that one of the reasons he was going there WAS for an upgrade on his weapon. Kusanagi (2), while a famous sword, was not one of the three great weapons that had survived Akumu's sealing. Only the hogosha held those weapons. His brother held one, and he knew that he had gone here to get it repaired. It was an obvious conclusion. Only the great smiths at Takumi no Sato could fix such an amazing blade.

The other two weapons he didn't know the names of. In fact, he couldn't even remember the name of Itachi's blade. It had been so long since he'd seen it…after all, Itachi rarely showed it. He carried it with him at all times, but unless he was fighting demons he rarely used it. He preferred to use the simple blade he'd taken with him from the Uchiha Clan.

Sasuke's hand went to Kusanagi's hilt. The blade was a gift from his old master…a demon blade. It was well known in the demon world, and as a legend in the human one. It was a powerful blade…but not strong enough to use against one of the three purified weapons of the hogosha. It would shatter in a drawn out battle against one of them. It was one of three very different items…not the swords of the hogosha, but items that were thought to have their own monstrous powers. But to Sasuke, magic such as that was feeble and he did not believe in it. He had not seen Kusanagi's true powers because to him, they were not real. No sword could control the wind. There were demons and monsters in the world, but magic…magic was something else. The three sacred artifact were nothing…not when compared to the three infamous blades of the hogosha…not when compared to the power that his brother wielded.

Perhaps…perhaps the great swordsmiths of Takumi no Sato could craft Kusanagi into a blade that could fight against the three sacred swords of the hogosha. If not, he would ask that a new blade entirely be forged. The people of Takumi no Sato kept their old ways, held onto ancient traditions. All of the villagers there knew of Akumu and the hogosha. They were cut off from the rest of the world and content with that. They would know how to create another powerful blade.

And that was when he turned another bend—and stopped. He felt Hanabi bump into him, clutching at him to steady herself.

"Uchiha-san?"

He didn't move, only stared down at the charred remains of Takumi no Sato. He took a deep breath, and the smell of rotting corpses filled his senses. Dead. The entire village…destroyed. The demon taint that surrounded it was overwhelming.

He gave a sardonic smile, even as a brief, harsh laugh bubbled up from his lips.

"Uchiha-san?" Hanabi's voice was worried now.

Itachi had seen through his plan and beaten him to it. He had destroyed the only people that could create a weapon to battle with his own. He was always…ten steps ahead of Sasuke wherever he went.

Sasuke merely turned around, pushing a bit against the small of Hanabi's back. "Let's go." His voice was cold once again.

"Aren't we going to Takumi no Sato?"

"I have changed my mind. There is nothing for me there." _Itachi has already left._ "We will head back to the village a few miles back and then go through another pass."

"But…" Hanabi stopped herself from continuing. She gave a small sigh before nodding. "Ok." But even as she did so, she stumbled. She let out a frightened shriek as she fell to the side. A warm hand grasped her, pulling her back until her feet were once again on solid ground.

"Watch your footing." His voice was cold and reprimanding.

Hanabi bit her lip, even as tears poured down her cheeks. Sasuke's harsh words and the fright from her almost-fall were too much. She was tired and hungry and her feet hurt _so bad_ and he was _so mean_. And then she was being lifted, and she blinked as she was placed on his back.

"Put your arms around my neck." He ordered gruffly.

She did as she was told, still in a slight daze, before leaning her chin on his shoulder and giving a small smile. Maybe…he wasn't quite so mean after all. And with that she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Sakura was silent from her place atop Naruto's back. She clutched his now clean fur tightly in her hands, but not tight enough to hurt him. Every time she breathed her chest ached, but it was an ache that she had grown accustomed to. It was barely noticeable now.

They'd been traveling for a day since she'd awoken. Naruto had gone back to his demon form so that she could ride him, as walking was impossible while her ribs healed. When she'd looked at her stomach earlier that morning the entire thing had been one large bruise, and it hurt to press on it. But if she sat up straight on Naruto's back and didn't move, it didn't hurt too badly.

The rocky, mountainous path was making sitting still difficult, however. It was mostly uphill, which meant Sakura had to lean forward and grab onto Naruto tightly to keep from falling off. And when he had to jump over fallen logs and boulders, pain spread through her like liquid fire.

But she accepted the pain and welcomed it.

This was her punishment for being so weak, a reminder that she _was not strong enough_ to make a difference. She would be no one's hope…she was a failure as a hogosha. Surely they needed to find the lost Uchiha boy quickly. Even if he was not the true hogosha, he seemed better for the job than her.

Then again, anyone would be a better hogosha than she.

A soft whine brought her out of her musings, and she blinked, seeing that Naruto had craned his head, twisting it a bit to look at her out of the corner of his eyes. She smiled softly, "Sorry." She mumbled, knowing that she was worried about her.

The entire trip had been made in tense silence, of course. Kakashi and Yamato were furious. Kakashi, after getting all the information out of the two about their excursion, wouldn't speak to them. Yamato's gaze was ever-disappointed.

But Sakura didn't mind. She wondered, if they had managed to save even one—just one!—villager, if that disappointment would still be there. She didn't mind their disappointment because no one was more disappointed in her than herself.

Sai had been quiet the entire time as well, but it was a companionable silence, strangely enough. The ever hostile and suspicious shinobi was now being kind, in his own way. It confused her, but at the same time, she was grateful for that as well.

She looked up at the mountain peak that loomed ominously above them and swallowed. She knew what lay beyond…and she was afraid. But at the same time…she was looking forward to it. She wanted to prove herself, to show that even if she was afraid…she would keep fighting. She wouldn't let Uchiha Itachi stop her from completing her mission!

Even if it meant fighting one of the most infamous daitengu (3) in existence.

_Naruto looked down at the ground, not willing to meet Kakashi's furious gaze. Sakura was silent beside him, propped up against their traveling packs, wincing with every movement she made as she twisted to the side to look at them all._

"_You two…have given away our position."_

"_We didn't—" Naruto began, but was cut off as Kakashi continued coldly._

"_If any of those demons escaped and told Akumu, they will know our exact location. Not only that, _Uchiha Itachi_ saw you. You are lucky to be alive, Sakura." He snapped. "He could have killed you easily."_

_Sakura hung her head low, staring down at her lap._

"_What are we going to do?" Yamato asked wearily._

_Kakashi took a deep breath. "We need an alternate route to the Doshaburi shrine. They will now be watching the path we were going to take."_

"_But the only other way is over Mount Kurama." Yamato answered gravely. "Surely we cannot go that route."_

"_We must."_

"_It is too dangerous." Yamato countered._

"_We'll go then." Sakura bit out, and they all stared at her in shock. She turned a bit away from their gazes, a shamed flush crossing her cheeks. "I…we need to get to the shrine as quickly as possible. If that is the only way, we should take it."_

"_What's so dangerous about that way anyway?" Naruto asked in confusion._

_Kakashi and Yamato exchanged glances, before Kakashi spoke._

"_Sojobo(4)."_

Sakura swallowed as they continued up their path. Sojobo, the infamous daitengu. A demon that, above all else, disliked those who came into his territory uninvited.

She knew that sooner of later she would need to face a powerful demon such as him. But that did not stop the trembling in her body or the way her stomach dropped and heart clenched at the thought of fighting off such a strong being.

She clutched Shoki's hilt, but he was, as he had been since her fight with Itachi, silent. It frightened her more than anything…to know that even her sword had forsaken her.

* * *

(1) **Gangi-kozō**- a fish-eating water-monster. (I just thought that this fit for Kisame's character. :D)

(2) **Kusanagi **(草薙の剣, _**Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi**_**?**) is a legendary Japanese sword as important to Japan's history as Excalibur is to Britain's, and is one of three Imperial Regalia of Japan. It was originally called _Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi_ (天叢雲剣, "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven") but its name was later changed to the more popular _Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi_.

In the popular Japanese manga Naruto, a villain named Orochimaru is able to procure the Kusanagi sword from a snake that comes out of his mouth. This is befitting of him both because it references the Yamata-no-Orochi and because an alternate translation of "Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi" is "Sword of the Snake". Orochimaru himself uses many ninjutsu revolving around snakes.

(3) **Daitengu **The _tengu_ in art appears in a large number of shapes, but it usually falls somewhere between a large, monstrous bird and a wholly anthropomorphized being, often with a red face or an unusually large or long nose. They were now established as the ghosts of angry, vain, or heretical priests who had fallen on the "_tengu_-road" (天狗道, _tengudō) _The god introduces the notion that not all _tengu_ are equal; knowledgeable men become _daitengu_ (大天狗, _big tengu_, _daitengu_**?**), but ignorant ones become _kotengu_ (小天狗, _small tengu_, _kotengu_**?**).[

(4) **Sōjōbō** (僧正坊, _**Sōjōbō**_ **?** lit. "high Buddhist priest") is the mythical king of the tengu, minor deities who inhabit the mountains of forests of Japan. Sōjōbō is an ancient _yamabushi_ (mountain hermit) tengu with long, white hair and an unnaturally long nose. He carries a fan made from seven feathers as a sign of his position at the top of tengu society. He is extremely powerful, and one legend says he has the strength of 1,000 normal tengu. Sōjōbō lives on Mount Kurama (north of Kyoto).

**(A\N: So...this chapter was just to pretty much keep the plot going. We've been introduced to Itachi and Kisame...but what could they have to do with the entire plotline? Hm, and the information about the swords and Kusanagi was important everyone, so pay attention to that. :D I kind of put Sakura's fight with Itachi in there because well...I wanted to show how strong Itachi is compared to her. It reminded me of Sasuke's 'fight' with Itachi in the anime, when all Itachi did was wail on him. XD Hm, but now Itachi is interested in Sakura...that's not good. :D Anyway, this chapter was unedited, so I am sorry for any mistakes. I hope you enjoy it regardless. :)**

**Sincerely, Lady Hanaka)**


	10. Chapter 9: Team Hawk

**Chapter 9**

**Team Hawk**

* * *

_Sakura swallowed as they continued up their path. Sojobo, the infamous daitengu. A demon that, above all else, disliked those who came into his territory uninvited._

_She knew that sooner of later she would need to face a powerful demon such as him. But that did not stop the trembling in her body or the way her stomach dropped and heart clenched at the thought of fighting off such a strong monster._

_She clutched Shoki's hilt, but he was, as he had been since her fight with Itachi, silent. It frightened her more than anything…to know that even her sword had forsaken her._

_

* * *

_

It was three days later that they finally met the infamous Sojobo. Three days of traveling uphill on Naruto's back. She wondered how uncomfortable it was for Naruto to remain in this beast form, but she had been unable to get an answer out of him when she'd asked. Just a small grunt and then he'd licked her cheek.

Her entire body ached, and any time she moved or bended a lancing pain shot down her spine. The worst times were when they stopped to camp for the night or to take a break and she had to get off of Naruto. She wouldn't allow anyone to carry her down, because she already felt like a burden enough without that.

She'd spent the last three days berating herself for her weakness. When she closed her eyes she played the moment over and over again in her head. She saw every mistake she made, how slow and unprepared she was. How was she going to be a hogosha that others could depend on if she couldn't save one village? Itachi's blows had made her realize how inexperienced she was.

When she slept, she dreamt of the moment. Sometimes Itachi stabbed her, sometimes she was torn apart by the demons in the village. Each time she awoke in a cold sweat, body aching, telling her that no, she wasn't dead, she was merely a failure who had gotten away by a stroke of luck.

No one spoke of her and Naruto's attempt to save the village. Kakashi remained silent as ever, and she was ashamed of the disappointment she felt from him. On the second day, Yamato had come up to her and ruffled her hair, and told her that the only way to learn was through making mistakes.

Sai was also quiet, but he didn't seem to be angry with them. He continued his usual insults and fake smiles, and it comforted Sakura in a way. It was a normalcy that she enjoyed. And she felt, strangely, that she and Sai were getting closer. With Naruto unable to talk in his fox form (or if he could talk, he chose not to) Sakura found that Sai was the only person she could have a conversation with.

Her body was healing, and she found it easier to sit up with each passing day. However, she knew that it would be at least another week before she could resume her training. She clutched Shoki tighter to her chest, and closed her eyes as she realized that it was still silent. No comforting tingle shot up her fingertips. He would remain silent forever, it seemed. Had he finally realized that she was not his rightful owner?

Maybe it was impossible for a woman to be a hogosha.

"You shouldn't think so hard, old hag, your face scrunches up and you look even uglier than usual."

"Eh?" Sakura blinked, looking to her left to meet Sai's cheerful smile. She frowned then, rolling her eyes. "Shut up." It ended in a mutter, as she buried her face in Naruto's fir.

"You are acting awfully cranky this morning."

"Don't you have to go and guard our rear or something?" She finally snapped out, not in the mood for the usual banter between them. She was hungry, tired, and sore. She just wanted to hurry up the mountain and continue on their way to the Doshaburi Shrine. The sooner she went there, the sooner she would be able to train.

Training would make her stronger. She wouldn't be a burden any longer. That was the only thought in her head at the moment, the only one she would allow. She needed to become strong, she _needed_ to feel that familiar hum beneath her fingertips that told her she was the hogosha, that she was a guardian and a warrior.

She needed it…because during her time with Kakashi and the others…she had finally found a place where she felt like she belonged.

She would never be fit for any other life than that of a swordsman.

And that was her last thought before she went flying off of Naruto's back.

A blast of wind struck her, even as Naruto let out a howl. She fell to the ground, pain lancing through her body as she landed. For a moment she couldn't breathe. All she could think about were her broken ribs and the sickening feeling that one of them was poking through her skin. She let out a small cough—a gurgled sound as her vision swam, threatening to plunge her into darkness.

She felt more than saw Naruto transform back into his human form but as he called out her name and began running towards her—the others were coming as well, weapons drawn—a shadow loomed above her.

She blinked again and her blurred vision cleared—and she could only stare up in horror at the being standing above her.

He was terrifying, if Sakura had to describe him as anything. The power that emanated from him was…indescribable. His hair was white, as the legends said, glowing like silk in the sunlight, dancing in the harsh mountain wind. Red tattoos ran down his face, and his eyes glittered with power and anger and cruelty and—

"You have GOT to be kidding me!" Naruto yelled out. "The pervy sage is Sojobo!?!?!"

The man—who had been looming ominously over Sakura, turned to the kitsune with narrowed eyes. "Naruto…YOU IDIOT! You completely ruined the entire scene!"

"_Scene_? You were totally going for Sakura-chan! There's no way I'm letting a lecher like you touch her!" Naruto yelled back, crossing his arms over his chest. "…dirty old man…"

"Annoying brat."

"Prune."

"Half-demon punk."

"Idiot sage."

"Fucking—"

"Enough." Kakashi cut in, stepping between the two feuding men. "Jiraiya-san…what, praytel, are you doing on the top of this mountain?"

"You KNOW him?" Sakura and Naruto both yelled out in exasperation.

"Jiraiya-san is a respected head monk from my old shrine…and a known demon hunter." Kakashi explained, "And…he's also the artist of my favorite shunga prints!"

Sakura stared for a moment in silence. She blinked. Once. Twice. Then she did the only thing she could do.

She fainted.

"AH! Sakura-chan!" Naruto hurried over to her.

"She must have been overwhelmed by my majestic beauty." Jiraiya struck a pose.

"If she was overwhelmed by anything it was your smell!" Naruto snapped back. "How many years was it since you've BATHED old man!?"

"Don't talk to your teacher like that, boy!"

"Prune!"

"Half-demon punk!"

"Idiot sage!"

"Fucking—"

Yamato and Sai exchanged a look, before shaking their heads. This…was going to be a long day.

* * *

"So what you're saying is…there was never a real daitengu up on this mountain at all?" Sakura finally asked. It was hours later, and the group—plus one perverted sage—were sitting around a raging fire. Sakura wrapped her cloak tighter around her body as the man's lecherous eyes followed her every movement.

Jiraiya continued his earlier explanation. "This mountain…has been the birthplace of several important and powerful warrior hermits."

Naruto snickered.

Jiraiya sent him a glare and then continued, "When 'Sojobo' feels like he is ready to die he finds himself an apprentice and teaches him all of his secrets, to become the next Sojobo and the next guardian of the mountain."

"I see…but there _was_ a real Sojobo at one point in time, wasn't there?" Yamato asked.

Jiraiya nodded. "Of course! That was how the myth began! (1) When the true Sojobo lived on this mountain, he was confronted by the great warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune, who everyone knew in those days as Ushiwaka-maru or Shanao. He taught him the arts of swordsmanship and magic. One day, after Minamoto had become the great man that we all know of, he went back to this very mountain—to this very spot." Jiraiya motioned around the weathered rocky temple they were seated in. "And he found Sojobo, dying from a wound. A great demon had come and attacked him. So Minamoto took over the job as the next Sojobo, to carry out the title of his first master."

"I see…" Kakashi murmured.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I hadn't heard that ending to the story before…"

"That's because it probably isn't true." Naruto muttered, before Jiraiya reached out and smacked him on the back of the head. "OW!"

"Ungrateful brat." Jiraiya grumbled, taking a bite of his rice ball.

Sakura merely ignored them. "This means that our journey to Doshaburi shrine will now go unhindered. We should probably head out tomorrow morning, right?"

Kakashi and Yamato nodded, and Kakashi answered. "Yes, the sooner we get there to continue your training, the better."

"Training?" Jiraiya perked up at that, before he turned to look at Sakura once more. "I see, I see…you're…Haruno's child aren't you? Ha, the next great Haruno hogosha is a woman." And he grinned. "It's about time. But if you want training…I'm as good as any."

"Listen pervy sage, you're a good teacher and all when you're not peeping into onsens and drawing your smut, but she needs to learn _hogosha_ techniques and well…your specialty is demons." Naruto put in. "That's how you helped me."

"I was a monk a long time ago, you know." He countered.

"Oh really?" Naruto snickered. "I just can't see you as someone taking a vow of celibacy, pervy sage."

Jiraiya coughed. "Well it didn't last very long…"

"You made a rather great impression at the shrine, if I remember correctly…" Kakashi mused.

Jiraiya gave a sheepish grin.

Suddenly, Sakura sat a little straighter as the pieces of the puzzle suddenly fell into place. Jiraiya, a sage…she blinked, once twice, and this time she didn't faint. Instead, she pointed a finger at Jiraiya accusingly. "You're THE Jiraiya?"

"Huh?"

"The shape shifting ninja!?"

Jiraiya grinned. "So you've heard of me, hm?"

Sakura shook her head, still dazed. "But…but…" And then she blinked again. "That means that the Tsunade we've been looking for is she…is she _the_ Tsunade-hime?"

"So you've heard of my wife (2), eh?" Jiraiya's grin grew.

"You're _married_ old man?" Naruto yelled back in shock. "Who would want to marry an ugly old fart like you, huh?"

"Hold your tongue, boy!" Jiraiya grumbled. "I'll have you know that my wife and I are very much in love."

"Where is she?" Sakura leaned forward in excitement, ignoring the twinge of pain the movement caused. "She is the only heir of the Senju clan, their hogosha! Please, I need to know where she is!"

Jiraiya's face became solemn and serious, something she didn't expect. "My wife…has been gone for many years."

"She just disappeared?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"My wife has dealt with much loss in her life…and with the curse of the Senju clan…she thought it was best to leave and finish her life in seclusion."

"The senju clan will lose all those close to them…" Sakura murmured. "I see…that was rather selfless of her, she didn't want anyone else to die."

Jiraiya snickered. "Oh don't think she's selfless. She's the most selfish person I know." His tone was a bit bitter now, and wistful. "She doesn't want to be hurt any longer so she causes others pain in her stead. That's pretty selfish don't you think?"

Sakura was quiet for a moment. "Jiraiya-sama…if Akumu were to be killed…do you think the curse of the hogosha would disappear?"

Jiraiya blinked in surprise, whether it was from her question or her calling him 'Jiraiya-sama' was unknown. "I suppose…why do you ask?"

"It's just that…if she were to help me kill Akumu…she would finally be able to be with you again."

Jiraiya snorted. "Don't worry about it, kid. You'll never find her. I may be able to shapeshift, but she holds one of the famous three artifacts(3). You won't find her if she doesn't want to be found."

"Three artifacts?" Sai finally cut in. He had been silent the entire time, and Jiraiya's eyes narrowed in suspicion before he spoke again. "Yes, they belong to Sojobo. When Tsunade parted from me I…gave her one as remembrance. I still hold one, but the other…"

"What was it?"

"I gave it to my former apprentice." Jiraiya's voice was even colder now. "I gave the sword of Kusanagi to my traitorous apprentice Orochimaru."

"The master of snake magic…" Sakura whispered.

"Eh?" Naruto blinked. "He doesn't sound that strong. Kind of like a pansy, if he used to be your apprentice, pervy sage. You're stronger than him, aren't you?"

"Naruto, haven't you ever heard the tale of Jiraiya and Orochimaru?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shook his head in confusion. "I didn't know the pervy sage was so great…"

"Orochimaru was his apprentice, but he specialized in snake magic, rather than toad magic. He was forever searching for eternal youth and immortality. And so he traded his soul to a demon to become a demon himself. But in order to become a demon…a contract had to be made."

"A contract?"

Kakashi continued where Sakura left off. "He had to also offer up several souls in exchange. He did this…by killing off Tsunade's younger brother and her first lover, a man named Dan."

"That's low!" Naruto hissed.

"I see." Sakura whispered. She pulled her cloak around herself and winced as a twinge of pain shot up her body. "Jiraiya-san…I would really like your aid." She gazed up at him earnestly. "So please Jiraiya-san…help us!"

There was a moment of silence, as everyone turned to Jiraiya. His face was uncharacteristically stoic. Sakura's stomach dropped, because she knew that look. He was about to decline. There was too much pain in his eyes for him to consider aiding them.

And then Jiraiya broke into a cheerful smile.

"Did you hear that?" Jiraiya grinned cheekily. "It seems that the amazing toad sage is needed again! And by a lovely lady no less."

Sakura rolled her eyes, even as Naruto leapt over the fire at him, hands going for his throat. "Don't leer at Sakura-chan like that you perverted old man! Argh!"

Kakashi sighed, and Yamato shook his head sadly. Sakura and Sai shared a blank look before Sakura put her hand to her mouth to cover her laughter, shoulders shaking as small giggles erupted from her lips. Finally she threw her head back, holding her stomach.

"Ah! Ugh this…h-hurts! B-but I can't stop l-laughing!"

Naruto and Jiraiya broke into proud grins, and Yamato gave a small chuckle. Kakashi centered his gaze on Sakura's face, seeing a smile there where one had been absent for days. For once she was acting like a girl again, and it was nice.

Sai noticed Kakashi's thoughtful gaze, but his eyes remained on Sakura. Something stirred in his chest and it was uncomfortable. What…was this feeling?

It felt like butterflies were flying around in his stomach. This was a dangerous feeling, he surmised. That night, yes…he would rectify this later.

This feeling could not be allowed to continue, not if it was a threat to his mission.

* * *

"I'm hungry." Hanabi grumbled as she sat down on the mat, pouting. The hotel room was small, but comfortable. Still, she was cold and hungry, and she felt really dirty too. Maybe she could ask Sasuke-san if they had a bathhouse she could use?

"Hn." Sasuke slid the door to the small closet open, placing his traveling pack inside. He stood slowly, tiredly, as if his entire body ached. Hanabi watched curiously. She supposed he was pretty tired, since he'd carried her the entire way there on his back.

Her frown became a guilty one as she looked down at the frayed hem of her kimono. She hadn't been of much help at all in their journey. All she'd done was complain. She tugged a lock of her brown hair and looked back up at the Uchiha boy who had walked to the door just as a soft knock sounded.

A maid bowed at the entrance, holding onto a tray. "You wished for some food, sir?"

"Hn." Sasuke nodded, taking the tray from the girl, who looked up at him with a bright red blush. She fumbled with the door as she slid it shut.

"Oi! Food!" Hanabi chirped, jumping up and rushing towards the tall man holding the steaming tray.

Sasuke looked down at her with slight annoyance before placing the tray on the small table that they had pushed against the wall. He then headed for the door once more, as Hanabi snapped her chopsticks apart and loomed over the assorted rice, beef strips, and pickled radishes.

"Where are you going?"

"Out." He muttered as a way of explanation, and ignored her pout. He didn't explain himself to anyone, so she should have been grateful for that much. He walked into the hallway, seemingly oblivious to her loud, whining complaints as she called after him, but didn't follow.

He wanted to roll his eyes at her foolishness but stopped himself from doing so. That would be childish, and he wouldn't allow himself to stoop to her level. Instead, he slid the door closed and continued down the hallway on his own, his sword securely at his waist.

He didn't have far to go to get to the front of the inn—it was a small one, fitting for such a small, out-of-the-way town. The innkeeper was sitting behind his desk, hand moving deftly over a page as he continued his calculations. A soroban (4) sat to his right, and fingers moved the beads almost too quick to see. He stopped only to push his glasses up his wizened, wrinkled face. He didn't seem to notice Sasuke at all.

Sasuke frowned, before clearing his throat slightly.

The old man blinked, looking up at him fully now. His eyes went from his face to the sword at his hip and back again. "Yes?"

"I will be leaving this establishment tonight, do not expect me back."

The man blinked owlishly from behind his glasses—the lenses made his squinted eyes seem much larger than they actually were. "I see." His voice was filled with confusion. Why would Sasuke buy a room for the night and then leave without sleeping in it?

"The young girl that I brought with me, she will be staying." Sasuke continued to explain, noticing the man's confusion. Hadn't he noticed that Sasuke hadn't brought the young girl with him?

The innkeeper still didn't seem to get what Sasuke was implying. Sasuke gritted his teeth in annoyance and continued. "Keep her here as long as she needs to stay. Someone will be coming by to pick her up."

"Mmm." The man hummed, pursing his lips. "I suppose my wife can look after her."

Sasuke placed an oban(5) down upon the table, and at the sound of the gold coin hitting the wood, the innkeeper stilled. He looked down at the coin in surprise. For a moment all he could see was the gold coin, before he gave a grunt, cupped it, and then went back to his calculations.

"See that she is taken care of." And then Sasuke was gone, walking out of the inn and down the street.

He didn't have to go far to reach his next destination. The open-air stall was quiet, and the man leaning against the counter was a grisly fellow with a curved nose and suspicious eyes. At the sight of Sasuke, however, he grinned, showing off several missing teeth. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I have two messages that I need to have delivered." Sasuke murmured softly, pulling out two scrolls. "This one is to be sent to Konoha to the Hyuuga compound. The other is to be sent to Otogakure to the Seven God's Inn."

The man took the thin scrolls and nodded, looking back over his shoulder at the cages that lined the back wall. "How soon do they need to be sent?"

"Immediately, and with your fastest birds." He handed the man his money before pulling the hood of his cloak up and heading back into the nearly deserted street. There was much he needed to get done before he arrived in Tea Country.

He wasn't worried about Hanabi. Once Lord Hyuuga had the message and her location he would come and get his daughter. Sasuke hadn't needed to be a genius—but he _was_ of course—to figure out that Hanabi was the Hyuuga Lord's youngest daughter. He had been the son of a Clan Lord himself, after all. So she was taken care of, and she would be safe. Not that he cared, of course. He hated little children, especially spoiled ones.

Still, he needed to get to Tea Country quickly. The messenger hawk would take a day or so to reach Otogakure. There, his companions would read it and head to the designated town in Tea Country. They were closer than he was, and would reach it in two days.

He had four days worth of travel before he got there, and that was an annoyance he wished to quickly remedy. The sooner he began his journey again the better. The fact that he had to make this detour and regroup with his old companions was an irritant all in itself. He was not fond of them—he wasn't fond of anyone, truly—and they were the type of people he had tried to forget as soon as he left.

They probably still weren't too happy with how he had snuck away in the dead of night several years earlier.

But that was a small matter. They hadn't been needed anymore, not after he'd gotten a new lead on Itachi without their aid. But now, with Akumu stirring and demons running through the world again…he would need them, even if only to deal with the others while he took his brother down.

He hadn't wanted them with him, but he would live with them if it meant having good trackers to find Itachi.

And Team Hawk were the best trackers he knew.

* * *

Hanabi woke in the middle of the night, snuggled up in the large blanket the maid had left for her. She blinked sleepily, her head resting on the little table, not sure why she was sleeping there and not on the tatami mat that was spread out comfortably in the middle of the room.

Her brow furrowed, before she remembered that she'd been waiting up for Sasuke's return. Her eyes widened in concern as she scanned the room and noticed he was nowhere in sight. From the looks of the half-eaten food on the plate—her doing—he hadn't come back, either.

She ran to the closet, tripping over the blanket she was cocooned in and falling to the floor with a loud thump. She whimpered, because she'd hit her nose and it was sore now. It would probably bruise. She rubbed it with a sniffle before making it the last few steps to the closet and sliding the door open.

His traveling pack lay where he had left it. Releif flooded through her, before she noticed that there was something different about the pack. She reached towards it hestitantly—and picked it up. She dropped it as soon as she'd done so, as if burnt.

Tears filled her eyes and she sniffled again—it hurt her nose when she did that—and she reached out, grabbing the pack and bringing it to her chest.

It was empty.

He had left her.

* * *

Sakura gave a small yawn as she blinked sleepily. The cool night air was refreshing as she sat on the old stone steps of the deserted temple, looking out at the forest that surrounded them. She wrapped her cloak a bit tighter around her body to keep off the chill, and let out a slow breath. The air condensed, mist issuing from her lips. She smiled softly as she watched it drift into the darkness.

Behind her she heard Naruto mumble something in his sleep as he turned over. Jiraiya was snoring loudly, body strewn out against their traveling packs haphazardly.

Yamato was lying further inside of the temple, head resting on his own traveling pack, an arm flung over his face. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and Sai had watched him enough to know that he was truly sleeping and not faking it.

Kakashi was leaning against the wall, head bowed, hair shielding his face from view. His staff was propped against one shoulder and from this vantage point, Sai couldn't tell if he was asleep or not.

Instead, Sai shifted from where he sat beside Sakura, looking out into the darkness. The fire had long since died, mere glowing embers. He examined his blade in the hard moonlight. He'd found that imperfections on steel seemed to show better with moonlight, and so he always took these opportunities to check his blade.

"Do you think that if I get to the Doshaburi shrine and train…that I'll be able to beat Akumu?"

"Even if you were a hundred years old you would not have enough experience to fight him."

Sakura blinked, before giving a small smile. "I see." It was a typical Sai answer, degrading as usual. But for some reason, it made her more at ease.

"But I suppose if you were one hundred you would be one hundred times uglier than you are now, hag. Maybe he would look at you and his heart would stop."

"Baka!" Sakura scolded, reaching out to smack him on the head. She stopped, however, noticing him tense subtly. She put her hand back in her lap. She supposed Sai had never been one to deal with other siblings and friends, and so he had taken her action as a threat. She wouldn't be surprised _if_ she'd gone through with hitting him, if he'd pinned her hand to the ground with his blade that he was so carefully inspecting.

"…Sai?"

No response, but he looked over to her and waited for her to speak.

"Do you think…do you think sometimes that I'm not really a hogosha at all? Like, maybe a female can't be and that one of my cousins is the real hogosha?"

"They are probably better swordsmen then you are." Sai concede with a nod of his head. "They wouldn't give us so much trouble with their female emotional tendencies and they'd follow orders much easier."

Sakura's shoulders drooped.

"But I suppose if it had been any other member of the Haruno family, they would have been killed by Akumu's minions by now."

Sakura's face lit up with a bright smile. "Thanks Sai. I needed that."

"If insults truly make you happy, I'll try harder next time."

"You're exasperating." Sakura rolled her eyes in annoyance, before she gave a small sigh. "Well, I think…I think I'll go to sleep. Can you keep watch alone?"

Sai blinked. Up till this point, none of the others hard trusted him enough to leave him alone. They'd never let him keep watch without another there as well. And any time they had to go somewhere he constantly felt as if he were being watched by them. In fact, he couldn't remember a time when he had been allowed awake with just Sakura or Naruto on watch. Kakashi or Yamato had always been with him, except for the one time that Sakura and Naruto had _both_ stayed up for watch with him—and they'd seen how that worked out.

This was a symbol of trust, a truce between the two of them as she gave him another small smile and merely curled up into a ball at his side, her back facing him.

Sai could have told her that she wasn't allowed to slack, that they needed both of them to keep watch. Instead, he leaned back against the stone wall and sheathed his blade, leaning it against his lap.

It wasn't long before his eyes drifted to Sakura's sleeping form. She was curled into a ball, and with each inhalation he saw her shudder in pain. Her ribs were either bruised or broken—he would have been able to tell instantly if they'd have let him check her, but they didn't trust him enough not to stick a dagger in her if he was that close—and the pain, while less after so many days, was still enough to make any movement uncomfortable.

She was shivering slightly, from both pain chills and the high altitude air. Usually it wouldn't have bothered him. He hardly cared if someone was cold. They were weak if they couldn't stand this little bit of weather.

Besides, she was his target, and he knew, especially because of his worry for her, that she was a threat to Danzou-sama's goals.

A threat that needed to be eliminated.

He placed his blade down, shifting on the balls of his feet, crouching but not quite standing. If someone else were awake, they'd see his shadow against the wall if he stood. He half-shuffled the few feet between them, and knelt down next to her shivering form.

He barely made a sound. Then again, it was his job to be as silent as possible.

He reached forward hesitantly and froze just as quickly as Sakura let out a small sigh, turning over onto her back in her sleep. As she did so, he saw her face twist at the pain the movement caused. Then her entire visage relaxed and she exhaled slowly, eyelids fluttering in her sleep.

His hands reached out, fingers drifting towards her neck. Calloused fingers touched smooth skin, and he was amazed by the feeling. He couldn't understand the softness. He wasn't used to that feeling. He was used to the roughness of brothel women, the splintering texture of a dojo floor. The only smoothness he was used to was a tempered blade, and that was a deadly slickness.

This…this feeling was undefinable. His brow furrowed a bit in confusion and wonder. No, he remembered the feeling…there was something about it…

His brother's breath. The same warmth spread through him as he touched Sakura's skin as it had when he was a child and his brother kissed his forehead before he walked out the door for work.

His fingers stretched until they wound loosely around her neck. Her breathing didn't change, nor did the peaceful smile that lifted her lips.

She shivered again, and his fingers tightened ever-so-slightly, so that they brushed against that soft skin again.

Warmth spread from his fingertips.

He lifted his hands as if burnt, and his usually emotionless face twisted with annoyance. This needed to be done. She was a threat. His hands itched forward once more. A hesitation. And he finally gave a small sigh, his breath issuing from between tightly compressed lips, and tucked her cloak tighter around her body.

She stopped shivering.

He lowered himself completely to the ground, his thigh pressed against her back, and breathed in deeply. Then he reached for his blade and placed it in his lap.

There was no point in waking her up anyway. In a few hours he'd switch watch with Yamato and Naruto. He might as well let her sleep. She was wounded, so she needed more sleep than he did anyway.

And with that, he resumed guard, peering out into the chilly mountain forest that surrounded them.

* * *

**(A\N: So? I'm sorry this chapter took so long to get out but…it's my Spring Break so I've finally had time to write. :D The school year is coming to an end, so that's always good news too, right? :D I hope you all enjoyed it. **

**Anyway, on to the chapter. Of course Sasuke knew that Hanabi was the Hiashi's child. And whether he wants to admit it or not, he wanted to make sure she was safe before he left her alone again. Awwww. And yes…Team Hebi-turned-Hawk will be entering the story soon! Mostly because I wanted Juugo and Suigetsu in it. Karin is well…I'm indifferent with her, but she's fun to write about. She ads spice. :P **

**Sasuke will not be meeting up with Sakura and the others for a while, I'm afraid. Let's see…the next chapter…Sakura arrives and Doshaburi Shrine, Sasuke and his team meet, Itachi will make another appearance, and a look into Akumu and his followers…:D**

**Excited yet?**

**Sincerely, **

**Lady Hanaka)**

(1) **Sojobo**: Sōjōbō (僧正坊, _Sōjōbō_**?**) of Mount Kurama is the daitengu that who they will meet, going through his territory, etc.

Sōjōbō is perhaps best known for teaching the warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune (then known by his childhood name Ushiwaka-maru or Shanao) the arts of swordsmanship, tactics, and magic in the 12th century. This relationship serves as the basis of many Japanese woodblock prints, including one by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi.

**(2)Jiraiya** (児雷也 - literally "young thunder"), the title character of the Japanese folktale _Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari_ (児雷也豪傑物語, "The tale of the gallant Jiraiya"), is a ninja who uses shapeshifting magic to morph into a gigantic toad. The heir of a powerful clan in Kyūshū of the same name, Jiraiya fell in love with Tsunade, a beautiful young princess who masters snail magic. His arch-enemy was his one-time follower, Orochimaru, who mastered snake magic.

**(A\N: I decided that for my story, I would mix the folklore with the actual Naruto characters, so that is why Tsunade and Jiraiya are married and Orochimaru is Jiraiya's apprentice.)**

**Orochimaru** (大蛇丸), featured in the Japanese folktale _Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari_, is the arch-enemy of the ninja Jiraiya. He was once named **Yashagorō** (夜叉五郎) and was one of Jiraiya's followers, but he was overtaken by serpent magic. Having changed his name to "Orochimaru", he gained the ability to turn himself into a giant serpent. He attacked Jiraiya and his wife Tsunade and defeated them with his venom (only for another follower to save the couple's lives afterwards). The kanji (大蛇, usually pronounced _daija_) literally mean "giant snake" or "serpent".

**(3)ancient three artifacts: **A Japanese myth says that the first member of this Imperial family was the grandson of Amaterasu, the Sun-Goddess. Sent down from Heaven to establish order in Japan, he brought with him three precious gifts from the gods--a curved jewel, a sword, and a sacred mirror--the Emperor's regalia. **(A\N: In the Naruto world, there had been hints of this with the jewel (the necklace that Tsunade gave Naruto) the sword (the weapon Sasuke carries, or kusanagi of Orochimaru) and the mirror (I'd forgotten that it was mentioned with Itachi's Susanoo attack in the manga, thanks for reminding me guys).**

(4) **Soroban**: the Japanese form of an abacus.

(5) **Oban**: a golden coin used in the Edo period and earlier before it was replaced by the yen. was primarily minted to be used for rewards and gifts. This is made clear by the fact that its value of "Ju ryo" (ten ryo) and the mint master's name and his signature "Goto" on the obverse were all written with Indian ink, which easily faded away. They could be rewritten if a commission was paid.


End file.
